Nov. 15, 2014
The Gold team exploded for 11 runs on Saturday afternoon to even the Black & Gold Series at one game apiece in an 11-3 victory hitting three home runs in the win.
The teams traded runs in the first inning but the game began to turn in the third inning when the Gold team batted around to score two runs on three hits. Bryan Reynolds put the Gold team on top with a RBI-double and Karl Ellison added to the lead with a single to score Dansby Swanson for a 3-1 lead.
The Gold team began to flex its muscle beginning in the fourth inning when Zander Wiel crushed a two-out, two-run homer to left field to push the lead to 5-1. Joey Mundy added to the lead with a RBI-single in the sixth before Swanson took over in the seventh and eighth. The junior short stop planted a two-run homer into the left-center field bleachers in the seventh and followed up with another two-run shot in the eighth, this one a towering shot to left to cap the Gold’s scoring on the afternoon.
While his offense was slugging away, Gold starter Tyler Ferguson was rolling through the Black lineup. Ferguson gave up a leadoff double to Rhett Wiseman to start the game but the big right-hander went right back to work retiring the next three batters despite allowing Wiseman to score. Ferguson’s streak of 14 straight retired was finally snapped in the fifth inning with two outs when Penn Murfee placed a bunt down the third base line for a single. Ferguson finished the frame to end his day with five solid innings. The junior allowed one run on two hits with one walk and four strikeouts to earn the win.
Six different players registered hits in the win for the Gold team led by Swanson and Ellison’s three-hit days. Wiel chipped in three RBI while Reynolds scored twice and added two hits to the team’s 12-hit total. Wiseman once again led the way offensive for the black team with two hits with Murfee adding two of his own, including a double.
Black starter Walker Buehler took the loss allowing three runs on four hits over 2.2 innings. Kyle Wright was solid in his two innings of relief for the Gold team punching out three and scattering two hits over two innings.
The two teams will decide the series on Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m.
