By Chris Fuller
PBR Kentucky

In front of a packed house of college coaches from all over the country, Team Kentucky put on an impressive show in going 2-0-1 at the PBR Future Games August 5-6 at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana.

Here is a look at how each game unfolded with the top statistical performers from each game.

Friday, August 5 vs Team Select

There was no shortage of talent on the Team Select roster as it was comprised of players from several different states including Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Kansas, and that talent showed as they built an early 4-0 lead in a game that would end in a 7-7 tie.

Trailing 4-0, Team KY broke through in the fourth inning sending eight batters to the plate. Andrew Arnold drew a lead-off walk and advanced to third base one out later on a ground-rule double to right-center by Seth Bacon. Peyton Brown followed with an RBI single up the middle, and Cameron Langston delivered a sacrifice fly to plate Bacon to cut the lead to 4-2. A pair of clutch two-out hits tied the game for Team Kentucky as Kyle Browning delivered his second hit of the game, an RBI single to left, and Rook Ellington smoked one to the right-center gap for a run-scoring triple.

Team Select regained a 5-4 lead in the top half of the sixth, but that was short lived as Team Kentucky scored three in the bottom of the inning to take a 7-5 lead. Bradley Taylor led off the inning with a base hit, Nolan Melton and Matthew Ellis drew walks, Andrew Arnold was hit by a pitch, Cameron Scheler delivered an infield single, and Seth Bacon hit into a fielder’s choice that plated the final run of the inning.

Team Select scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to end the game in a tie. Select did bat an eighth time to allow for the final Team KY Pitcher of the game to log his second inning of work.

Top Statistical Performers

Kyle Browning, 2-for-3, RBI
Rook Ellington, 1-for-2, 3B, BB, RBI
Bradley Taylor, 1-for-2
Tyler Wood, 1-for-2
Peyton Brown, 1-for-3, RBI
Seth Bacon, 1-for-2, 2B, RBI
Cameron Scheler, 1-for-2
Andrew Arnold, 0-for-0 (BB, HBP)
Tyler Grigalis, 0-for-0 (2 BB)

Pitchers

Brennan LaBarbera, 2 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, HBP, 1 K, 3 R (1 earned) FB: 83-86, CB: 73-76, CH: 78-79
Eric Sottile, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 ER – FB: 85-88, CB: 71-72, CH: 76-77
Luke Seed, 2 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 1 ER – FB: 77-80, CB: 59-62, CH: 69-72
Tate Meade, 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K – FB: 82-84, CB: 62-63, CH: 70-71

Friday, August 5 vs Team Tennessee

Runs were at a premium in this matchup as both teams rolled out a bevy of impressive arms that kept the scoring to a minimum in Team Kentucky’s 3-1 victory. This was an eight inning game to allow for each team’s pitching schedule.

Team Kentucky took advantage of some first inning wildness by the Tennessee starter to build an early lead. Four consecutive walks to Trey Eden, Tyler Grigalis, John Ullom, and Bradley Taylor plated the first run of the game, and Nolan Melton drove in a run on a fielder’s choice for a 2-0 lead.

Tennessee scored an unearned run off Ryan Hawks in the fifth to cut the lead in half, but Team Kentucky added an important insurance run in the eighth when Kyle Browning lined a one-out triple into the right field corner, and Rook Ellington followed with a single against a drawn in infield for a 3-1 lead.

Cameron Stiglich pitched the final two innings to close the door for the Team Kentucky win.

Top Statistical Performers

Trey Eden, 1-for-2, BB
Cameron Scheler, 1-for-1, BB
Kyle Browning, 1-for-2, 3B
Rook Ellington, 1-for-1, BB, RBI

Pitchers

Braxton Kelly, 2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 K – FB: 84-86, CB: 71-72
Drew Rom, 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K – FB: 83-85, CB: 75-76
Ryan Hawks, 2 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 1 K – FB: 85-87, CB: 72-73, CH: 77
Cameron Stiglich, 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K – FB: 84-87, CB: 70-71

Saturday, August 6 vs Team Missouri

Team Kentucky’s final game of the event saw them score early and often in a 9-1 rout of Missouri, and once again, it was some early wildness that got the scoring started.

Bradley Taylor, Tyler Wood, and Matthew Ellis each drew walks in the inning, Nolan Melton reached on an error, and Andrew Arnold collected his first of two RBI singles in the game to build an early 3-0 lead.

In the fourth, Team Kentucky blew the game open. John Ullom stroked a one out double to the right-center gap and scored on Bradley Taylor’s single to left-center. After Tyler Wood was hit by a pitch, Matthew Ellis ripped a hard line drive to center field that hit off the center fielder’s glove and allowed two more runs to score while Ellis ended up at second base. Andrew Arnold followed with another RBI single for a 7-0 lead.

Missouri scored a run in the sixth to cut the lead to 7-1, but Team Kentucky responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning as Rook Ellington drew a walk and came around to score and Reece Puckett reached base on an infield single and scored on a ground out by Tyler Grigalis for the final margin of victory.

Top Statistical Performers

John Ullom, 1-for-3, 2B
Bradley Taylor, 1-for-2, BB, RBI
Tyler Wood, 1-for-1, BB, HBP
Matthew Ellis, 1-for-2, BB
Andrew Arnold, 2-for-3, 2 RBI
Peyton Brown, 1-for-2
Reece Puckett, 1-for-2

Pitchers

Garrett Schmeltz, 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 HBP, 4 K – FB: 83-85, CB: 73-74, CH: 77
Shane Burns, 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K – FB: 83-86, CB: 71-72, CH: 70-72
Nolan Melton, 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 HBP – FB: 83-85, CB: 70