NBC World Series notes, scoreboard

Seattle moves to quarters

The Seattle Studs advanced to the quarterfinals by beating Nevada (Mo.) 7-0 in a winners bracket game. Three Seattle pitchers combined to toss the second Studs shutout of the tournament.

Damon Porter started for Seattle and allowed two hits in 5 2/3 innings. Seattle got all the runs it needed with a three-run third inning. That followed the four-hit shutout in Seattle’s first-round win over Conejo on Wednesday.

"It takes a lot of pressure off of us as an offense," Seattle outfielder Caleb Brown said of Seattle’s pitching. "Benson was so good, and coming into this game we had confidence that Damon was going to do the same thing. It takes the pressure off as an offense so you don’t have to press so much."

Brown, Seattle’s leadoff hitter, hit a one-out double in the third to drive in a run and ignite the big inning. Bobby Joe Tannehill, who along with Brown had a pair of hits, made it 2-0 with a single, and the Studs added a run on a bases-loaded walk.

The shutout was often in jeopardy, as Nevada put runners in scoring position in six innings. But each Seattle pitcher was able to escape trouble, with Taylor Thompson and Tom Deboer combining for 3 1/3 shutout innings.

Seattle’s pitching has made it impossible for the Studs to lose, but after scoring two runs Wednesday it was important for the Studs to help their pitchers more. They did so by producing a pair of multi-run innings and by collecting nine hits and four walks.

"We always have confidence in our offense, but when you come to something like this, where it’s the best teams from really good leagues, you’re always going to run into guys that can pitch," Brown said. "Pitching and defense are always going to show up over offense, so you have to play good defense and pitch better than the other team."

Seattle veterans

The Studs have traditionally had a roster combining college graduates and players in the middle of their collegiate careers. That’s the case again this year, with mainstays Thompson and infielder Derek Jennings returning to the team.

Thompson is in his seventh tournament and Jennings his sixth and last. Jennings was named to the NBC All-America team in 2008 and 2010 and Thompson earned the honor in 2010, when the Studs advanced to the championship game. Seattle also lost in the 2008 finals.

"I love coming here," Jennings said. "I love Wichita, it’s another home to me, I love coming down here. It gets tougher and tougher as the years go on — I have a fiancee, I have a kid and they definitely don’t enjoy me coming down here. It’s a sacrifice I make because it’s so awesome to be here."

Jennings has played only briefly beyond the college level, spending 21 games with Gateway of the Frontier League last season before the 27-year-old exceeded the league’s age limit. He calls that the pinnacle of his baseball experience.

Because of his new family responsibilities, Jennings won’t return to the Studs next summer. But the Seattle roster probably won’t change much — it has 13 players who have completed their college careers.

"I love it," Jennings said. "It’s very rare that you find teams like that, but it’s one of the only teams that has given me an opportunity to play every summer on a yearly basis. If (coach Barry Aden) didn’t make this opportunity available to us, I wouldn’t get to play baseball."

Friday’s Games

Baseball 1’Round the Clock

Valley Center Diamond Dawgs 4, Crestwood (Ill.) Panthers 2, Crestwood eliminated

Liberal Bee Jays 3, Colorado Sox 2, Colorado eliminated

San Diego Force 5, Plaza Tire (Mo.) Capahas 2, Plaza Tire eliminated

Seattle Studs 7, Nevada (Mo.) Griffons 0

Haysville Heat 8, North County (Calif.) Waves 6

Santa Barbara (Calif.) Foresters vs. Casa Grande (Ariz.) Cotton Kings

Newton-Rebels vs. Hays Larks

Saturday’s Games

Baseball 1’Round the Clock

Omaha Strike Zone vs. Nevada (Mo.) Griffons, 8 a.m.

Valley Center Diamond Dawgs vs. Tulsa Braves, 10:30

Santa Barbara-Casa Grande loser vs. Topeka Golden Giants, 1 p.m.

Dodge City A’s vs. St. Joseph (Mo.) Mustangs, 5

El Dorado Broncos vs. Seattle Studs, 7:30

Kansas Cannons vs. North County (Calif.) Waves, 10

San Luis Obispo (Calif.) vs. Impact Sports (Colo.), 12:30 a.m. (Sun.)

Sunday’s Games

Baseball 1’Round the Clock

Games begin at 8 a.m., schedule not yet set.

Valley Center 4, Crestwood 2

W — Suminski 1-1. L — Tingle. S — Fisher (1).

Liberal 3, Colorado Sox 2

W — Ashford 1-0. L — Sandoval 0-1.

San Diego 5, Plaza Tire 2

W — Byrd 1-1. L — Holthaus 0-1. S — Orozco (1). HR — San Diego, Nordgren (1).

Late Thursday

El Dorado 3, Plaza Tire 1

E— K. Campbell (1), Parmley (2), A. Perez (1). LOB — Plaza Tire 2, El Dorado 9. DP— Plaza Tire 1, El Dorado 3. 3B — Bieser (1). SF — Coughenour (1). S — Kimball, Coughenour. SB — J. Blum (1), Corona (1), Buchanan (1), Colley 3 (3).

Umpires — home, Josh Schepis; first, Teryl Harrison; third, Josh Sanderson . T — 1:59.

Seattle 7, Nevada Griffons 0

E— Jennings (1), Heissler (1). LOB— Seattle 7, Nevada 11. 2B — Brown (1), Tannehill (1), Steiger (1), Boe (1), Ewing (1), Wilson (1), Grace (1). HBP — Jennings (1) by Porter, Krist (1) by Heissler, Boe (1) by Porter. SF — Jennings (1). S — Boe. SB — Brown (1), Boe (1), Hart (1).

WP — Heissler (1). PB — Breda. HBP — Jennings by Porter (1), Krist by Heissler (1), Boe by Porter (2).

Umpires — home, Mike Lentz; first, Tony D’Aquano; third, Todd Sigwig. T — 2:17.

Haysville 8, North County 6

E — McCormick (1), Machbitz 2 (2), Lindmark (1), Shul (1), Stalcup (1). LOB — Haysville 10, North County 7. DP — Haysville 1, North County 1. 2B — Maxwell (1), Machbitz (1). HBP — Lindmark (1) by Trudell. Shul (1) by McWhirter. S — Davidson, Tharp. SB — Davidson (2), Jones (1), Oleszczuk (1), Hugaert (1), Thimesch 2 (3), Daris 2 (3). CS — Billinger (1).

WP — Trudell (1), Mack 2 (2), Stalcup (1). HBP — Lindmark by Trudell (1), Shul by McWhirter (1).

Umpires — home, Teryl Harrison; first, Travis Olson; third, Sasha. T — 3:10.