Nov. 14, 2013
Nashville, Tenn. –
The Commodores were scheduled to play seven innings on Thursday in Game 1 of the Black & Gold Series but that was not enough as the Gold team rallied from behind to earn the win 5-4 in eight innings.
Both teams started their half of the eighth inning with the bases loaded and one out in a 4-4 game. Gold reliever Walker Buehler (1-0) responded with strikeouts of freshmen Drake Parker and Ro Coleman in the top of the eighth inning to give his team a chance at a walk-off win. With two outs freshman Nolan Rogers came up big, working a walk off Adam Ravenelle (0-1) to force Will Cooper across the plate and end the game.
The Gold team faced a three-run deficit heading into the bottom of the sixth before rallying for four runs to take the lead with a little help from the Black defense. Freshman Jason Delay greeted fellow freshman Hayden Stone with a double down the left field line to open the frame. Aubrey McCarty then reached on a wild pitch after striking out in front of Dansby Swanson. The sophomore immediately made the Black team pay for the mistake, roping a double down the left field line to score both runs and cut the Black lead to 3-2. After a walk to Rogers, Stone rebounded to get the next two batters and appeared to be out of the inning when he struck out Bryan Reynolds on a pitch in the turf. But freshman Karl Ellison’s throw to first base to get the final out was high, allowing Swanson and Rogers to score and put the Gold team in front.
John Norwood, however, was not ready to roll over, mounting a one-man rally. The junior ripped a single to center field on the first pitch of the seventh off Brian Miller then moved to second when Miller’s pickoff attempt sailed wide of McCarty at first base. Norwood then stole third and scored to tie the game when Delay’s throw soared into left field.
The Black team jumped on Gold starter Tyler Beede right out of the gate with leadoff hitter Ro Coleman lining a double into the left-center field gap and scoring on Vince Conde’s grounder to shortstop. Chris Harvey pushed the lead to 2-0 with a solo home run over the left field wall in the fourth off Beede. Conde struck again in the sixth with a RBI-double down the right field line off Steven Rice to push the Black lead to three runs.
Buehler earned the win in relief with his two strikeouts in the eighth inning. Ravenelle was pinned with the loss after issuing the walk to Rogers. The late defensive miscues marred a pitcher’s duel between Beede and Black starter T.J. Pecoraro. Pecoraro was outstanding over his five innings allowing only one hit and fanning four with no walks in a no decision. Beede allowed two runs on two hits with no walks and six strikeouts over his five innings of work.
The two teams are slated to play Game 2 tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Hawkins Field. Jared Miller gets the ball for the Gold squad against Carson Fulmer for the Black team.
