Gray Wins Series With Offensive Outburst

Box Score | Team Gray Series Stats | Team Cardinal Series Stats

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Six different players recorded multi-hit games for Team Gray Friday afternoon in Game 3 of the 2016 Razorback Fall World Series. Junior Luke Bonfield went 3 for 4 with a team high seven RBIs including a grand slam to lead Team Gray to a 21-4 victory in eight innings, clinching the series over Team Cardinal.

The win completes a three-game sweep for Team Gray with Friday as its best offensive performance. Overall, Team Gray had 10 hits or more in each of the three games, nine going for extra bases. In Friday’s game, Team Gray had 18 hits and also drew a series high 10 walks.

Bonfield’s slam in the fourth inning came with the game already well in hand, but it capped a strong week for the New Jersey native who went 5 for 12 (.417) in the series, scoring seven times, hitting two homers, and also walking four times.

On the mound, senior Josh Alberius got the start for Team Gray and followed suit to Blaine Knight and Trevor Stephan from previous day’s starters, as he threw five strong innings and struck out a series high six batters. Alberius did give up four runs over those five innings, but, obviously, had plenty of run support as his teammates had it as a 12-2 game after three innings.

“I thought (Josh) pitched extremely well,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “He showed a lot of maturity keeping his focus in a game where there were 15, 20, 25 minute innings and he still came out and pounded the zone and kept the ball down for the most part. It was a tough day to pitch with the wind howling out 20 to 25 miles an hour, but he did a good job for us.”

After Bonfield, Jared Gates and Carson Shaddy each had three hits in the game also. Gates finished with four RBIs and three runs scored, while Shaddy had two RBIs and a walk.

The trio of Bonfield, Gates and Shaddy were nearly unstoppable at the plate for Team Gray during the week. Combined, the three players hit an even .500 over the three games and were responsible for 15 of the team’s 32 RBIs. Bonfield even slugged an even 1.000 as three of his five hits went for extra bases.

As for the pitching, with each of the starters having quality outings, the bullpen was just as strong. On Friday, freshmen Jacob Kostyshock and Dylan Thompson held Team Cardinal scoreless over the final three innings and walking only one. In the series, Team Gray’s bullpen only allowed five runs, four being earned.

Even with the lopsided game, some members of Team Cardinal still brought the bats as Jordan McFarland, Dominic Fletcher and Matt Burch each had two or more hits in the game. Both McFarland and Fletcher finished with three hits apiece. McFarland was a tough out over the three-day series as he had seven hits in 12 plate appearances and only one strikeout.

Catcher Grant Koch continued the pound the ball as well as he hit his second home run of the series to dead center in the fifth inning. It was his only hit of the day, but finishes off a 5 for 12 (.417) series with two doubles, two home runs and five RBIs.

The Razorbacks will practice as a team on Friday for the final time this fall before going back into individual fall workouts for the remainder of the semester.

2016 Razorback Fall World Series Schedule
Game 1 – Gray 6, Cardinal 3 (Gray leads 1-0)
Game 2 – Gray 10, Cardinal 6 (Gray leads 2-0)
Game 3 – Gray 21, Cardinal 4 (Gray wins series 3-0)

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