NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt’s Austin Martin drew a bases-loaded walk and Stephen Scott added a sacrifice fly as Team Gold used a late-inning surge to defeat Team Black, 4-2 in seven innings in the Black and Gold Series opener on Thursday night at Hawkins Field.
The matchup featured three total home runs including a leadoff solo shot from freshman Dominic Keegan to open the scoring in the second inning. In the fourth, Julian Infante laced a double down the right field line and Harrison Ray brought him home, shooting a 0-2 pitch down the left field line to make it 2-0, Team Gold.
Gold starter Drake Fellows retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced including nine consecutive batters until Team Black awoke in the fifth. Philip Clarke roped a one-out, solo homer into the right field bleachers and two batters later, Jayson Gonzalez drove a 2-0 pitch to deep center to tie the game at 2-all.
Fellows permitted just three hits and two runs – both earned – across five innings while fanning four without a walk. Justin Willis (1-0) picked up the victory after tossing a 1-2-3 sixth inning and AJ Franklin secured the save by fanning a pair as part of a clean seventh.
Hugh Fisher (0-1) was saddled with the loss, allowing two runs, two walks and as many hits while striking out five in three innings. Tyler Brown struck out five in four innings alongside four hits and a pair of runs in his start.
The teams return to action on Friday at 5 p.m. for the middle game of the three-game series. The tilt will also be a seven-inning affair. Saturday’s finale is slated for a 1 p.m. start.
