NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Team Gold claimed the David Williams Fall Classic with an 8-7 win in Game 2 Tuesday night at Hawkins Field.
Team Black, needing to win Tuesday to force a Game 3, scored twice in the bottom of the second to take an early lead. Cooper Holbrook brought home the game’s first run on a sac fly and Alan Espinal scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0.
Gold got on the board with a Matt Ossenfort solo home run in the top of the third, his second homer of the series.
Black responded with an RBI single by Jonathan Vastine to score Camden Kozeal in the home half of the third, increasing Black’s lead back to two.
Raymond Velazquez blasted a three-run home run in the fourth to put Gold in front, 4-3. Troy LaNeve then doubled home Colin Barczi in the top of the fifth to make it 5-3, Gold.
Watch it fly 👀🫡@RaymondVelazq15 🔒 pic.twitter.com/n7Oa2MFAl6
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) November 15, 2023
Black took advantage of an error in the bottom of the sixth. Matthew Polk laid down a sac bunt with a pair of runners on base and an errant throw to first allowed Logan Poteet to score from second. The next batter, Calvin Hewett, roped a double to bring home Holbrook and even the game at 5-5.
With neither team able to score in the seventh, the game headed to extras in a shootout format, with both sides starting their respective half innings with the bases loaded and one out.
Team Gold sent LaNeve to the plate in the top of the eighth, who lined a two-run single to give Gold a 7-5 advantage. LaNeve finished the game with three RBIs on a 3-for-5 day at the plate with a pair of doubles. Gold went in front by three on a groundout to go ahead 8-5.
Black fought back in the bottom of the eighth. Hewett was hit by a pitch to score Poteet and after a fly out for the second out, Chris Maldonado worked a walk to cut Gold’s lead to one. Nik Copenhaver took over on the mound for Gold and got the final out to clinch the series for the Gold side with an 8-7 win.
With Vanderbilt’s fall schedule concluded, the Dores turn their preparations to the regular season which begins with a three-game series at Hawkins Field against FAU on February 16-18.
