Timely hitting gives White early lead in Fall World Series

FAYETTEVILLE — Freshman right-hander Patrick Wicklander struck out six of the first 10 batters he faced Tuesday, but his teammates on Team Cardinal couldn’t provide the run support as Team White won game one of the Razorback Fall World Series, 9-1, behind timely hits from Matt Goodheart, Casey Opitz and Andrew Stanley.

The Team White trio of Goodheart, Opitz and Stanley went a combined 6-for-13 (.462) and drove in seven of their team’s nine runs.

The only other players on the team to reach base via a hit were sophomores Heston Kjerstad and Casey Martin, both going 1-for-4 at the plate.

Wicklander was Team Cardinal’s lone bright spot even though he was forced out of the game in the middle of the fourth inning.

Before his exit, he had only allowed three base runners, two reaching from walks. He ended up with eight strikeouts in the game while throwing 70 pitches.

Unfortunately, Wicklander was saddled with the loss after a walk to Jacob Nesbit followed by an error by his left fielder allowed Goodheart to reach with Opitz coming to the plate.

Opitz came through with the game’s first hit, an RBI single up the middle to score Nesbit, giving Team White the 1-0 lead.

Connor McCullough tried to limit the damage after coming out of the bullpen, but gave up an RBI single to Stanley out of the gate in the fourth and followed that with three more runs allowed in the fifth, two off the bat of Goodheart.

Team Cardinal had no response, offensively, after Team White took the 5-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth.

Freshmen Christian Franklin and Bryson Lierle provided the team’s only hits in the game, while Tyler Isenberg drove in its only run of the game on a bases-loaded walk in the fifth.

Team White starter Caleb Bolden was solid through four innings, allowing only one baserunner, but started to tire in the fifth when he walked three of the first four batters he faced.

Caden Monke came in to relieve Bolden with the bases loaded and a 3-2 count on Isenberg. Even though he ended up walking Isenberg, Monke got Zack Gregory to strike out and Jack Kenley to fly out, ending the threat and leaving the bases jammed.

Bolden finished his outing with only one run and one hit allowed in 4.1 innings with three walks and three strikeouts on 67 pitches.

Monke was nearly perfect, giving up just one walk on 30 pitches while striking out three over 1.2 innings.

With a 1-0 lead in the series, Team White will hope to close it out on Thursday as game two is set for a 4 p.m. start at Baum Stadium.

If Team Cardinal is able to force a game three, the deciding game will be on Friday at 3 p.m. and it will last only seven innings.

2018 Fall World Series Schedule

Game 1 – White 9, Cardinal 1 (Team White leads series 1-0)
Game 2 – Thursday, Oct. 18 at 4 p.m.
Game 3 – Friday, Oct. 19 at 3 p.m. (if necessary) (7 inning game)