Oct. 19, 2009
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Aaron Westlake’s two-run double in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Vanderbilt Black squad to a 3-2 win over the Gold squad in the fourth game of the five game Black and Gold Series Monday night at Hawkins Field.
The win evened the series at 2-2 with tomorrow’s rubber game at 6 p.m. deciding the winner of this year’s set.
The teams were slated to play a seven-inning contest but the game was tied at 1-1, forcing a modified extra innings setup.
The innings started with the bases loaded and one out. Neither team scored in the eighth, before the Gold came through with a run in the ninth on sacrifice fly by Bryan Johns.
Westlake then led off the bottom half with his double down the right field line off of Russell Brewer that scored two to win the game for the Black.
Brewer was charged with the loss, while Drew Hayes picked up the win.
The game started as a pitching duel between starters Will Clinard for the Gold and Chase Reid for the Black.
The Gold got on the board in fourth on a sacrifice fly to center by Jack Armstrong with the bases loaded. Anthony Gomez reached on a fielding error by shortstop Brian Harris to lead off the frame. Andrew Giobbi singled to left and Curt Casali walked to load the bases for Armstrong. Reid kept the damage to a minimum, striking out Jordan Wormsley and Connor Harrell to end the frame.
Clinard pitched 4.1 innings of three-hit scoreless ball with three strikeouts and two walks in the no decision.
Reid allowed an unearned run in five innings of work with eight strikeouts and two walks.
“I thought Chase threw really well tonight,” Head Coach Tim Corbin said. “He came out here with something to prove, not only to get his team a win to even the series but to prove something for himself.”
The Black squad tied the game in the sixth on a clutch two-out RBI single from Joe Loftus off of closer Russell Brewer. Jason Esposito was hit by a pitch by Jack Armstrong and stole second with one out in the frame. Brian Harris grounded out to third to advance Esposito to third and Aaron Westlake then came up to bat. Brewer, as a manager of the Gold team, called his own number in relief and Loftus looped a single up the middle to tie the game.
Armstrong gave up one run with a strikeout in 1.1 innings of relief work for the Gold. Joe Loftus threw two innings of two-hit relief for the Black, and looked impressive with three strikeouts.
The final game of the series will be played on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Hawkins Field.