HAMPTON, VA. – The Apprentice School closed out action on Sunday in the 2011 Builder Invitational by splitting a pair of games to take fourth place in the event. In the opener they defeated USCAA rival Briarcliffe College 12-3 and then lost to Bloomsburg University 9-5 in the third place game.
Against Briarcliffe, the Builders jumped out quickly scoring three runs in the first inning on one hit. Ryan Wagner and Chris Kennedy walked as Josh Tuck followed with a single to score Wagner. Andrew Yonta scored Kennedy with a ground out and Tuck scored on a wild pitch to take a 3-0 lead.
The Builders put two more across in the third as Corey Gallaway scored on a wild pitch and Chris Scarola singled in Kevin Sias for a 5-0 lead. Two more runs scored for the home team in the fourth as Wagner singled and advance to third on a Tuck single. Wagner scored on a wild pitch and Tuck scored on a Yonta single for a 7-0 advantage.
Briarcliffe pushed three across in the sixth, but the Builders answered with a pair in its half of the sixth. Tuck doubled to start the inning and advanced on a ground out. He later scored on a Sias single and Yonta scored on a sacrifice fly to lead 9-3.
The Builders scored a run in the seventh on a Wagner single to plate Scarola and two in the eighth Andrew Hooper doubled in Yonta and Gallaway to take the 12-3 win.
Daniel Lutz earned the win throwing 7.1 innings and allowing seven hits. Coire Barnitz closed the game throwing the final 1.2 innings and allowing one hit with two strikeouts. Tuck was 3-for-4 with three runs scored to lead a 12-hit attack. Wagner, Scarola and Yonta had two hits each.
Against Bloomsburg, the Builders jumped out quickly again with three runs as Wagner and Kennedy singled and Tuck was hit by a pitch. Wagner scored on a wild pitch, Yonta plated Kennedy with a groundout and Devorn Lake singled in Tuck for the 3-0 lead.
Bloomsburg answered with two in the third and five in the fifth. Apprentice School made a push with two runs in the eighth on a Hooper RBI single and Lake scoring on a wild pitch, but the Huskies answered with two on the strength of a two-run home run from Jarrod Kramer.
Tuck again was the leading hitter going 2-for-4 and earned All-Tournament honors along with Gallaway for the Builders.
Apprentice School returns to War Memorial Stadium on Thursday for a 2 pm single game with Rappahannock CC.