Oct. 29, 2015
Nashville, Tenn. – Vanderbilt wrapped up the Black & Gold Series Thursday night at Hawkins Field with the Gold team winning its fourth game of the series with a 9-3 victory.
The two teams traded runs back and forth through the first three innings with the Gold team emerging with a narrow 4-3 lead after three. The Gold team put the game away in the sixth, batting around and scoring five runs. Tristan Chari started the rally with a single before being lifted for pinch runner Kiambu Fentress. Alonzo Jones made the move pay off quickly, chopping a single through the left side as Fentress raced from first to third. With one out and two on, Ethan Paul started a streak of four straight run-producing at-bats for the Gold squad with his single through the left side. Paul’s single chased Joey Abraham but fellow sophomore Collin Snider could not stop the bleeding for Black with Kyle Smith lifting his first pitch into center field for a sacrifice fly. Jason Delay and Stephen Scott followed with RBI-singles of their own to cap the rally and the night’s scoring.
Both team’s power was on full display early in the game with three home runs being hit between the two teams. Jeren Kendall launched the first of the game with a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the first but the lead was short-lived with Tyler Green smashing a homer over the left field bleachers to tie the game in the second. Jones’ two run-single put Gold back on top in the second but Bryan Reynolds’ second homer of the series in the third brought the two teams back even. Jason Delay’s sacrifice fly in the third finally put the Gold team in front for good before the squad’s five-run rally in the sixth.
Gold starter Jordan Sheffield picked up the win allowing three runs on three hits with five strikeouts over four innings with one walk. The Gold bullpen was strong with Brendan Spagnuolo and Patrick Raby combining for three scoreless innings and six strikeouts. Raby struck out the side in the seventh to wrap up an impressive series that saw him strike out nine in 4.2 innings while allowing only one hit. Black starter Matt Ruppenthal took the loss after giving up four runs on six hits over three innings.
Ethan Paul finished the series with a team-high nine hits in the five-game series driving in five runs and scoring three more. Fellow freshman Alonzo Jones was right behind with eight hits and five runs scored. Bryan Reynolds’ six hits led the Black team with his two homers matching Ro Coleman for the team lead.
The deadline for season ticket renewals is Friday (Oct. 30). Tickets for the team’s annual banquet are now on sale at vucommodores.com or by calling 615.322.GOLD. The Dores return to the field for the 2016 season beginning February 19 against San Diego.
