Black Team Evens Series with 6-5 Win
11/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nov. 7, 2009
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Sophomore Casey Wadkins hit a home run and broke a 5-5 tie with an RBI single in the eighth inning to lead the Black team to a 6-5 victory against the Gold team on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Wake Forest Baseball Park.
With the win, the Black team evens the Black & Gold World Series at one win apiece. The rubber game of the three-game series is set for Sunday at Noon (ET). The game is open to the public and admission is free.
With the Gold team leading 5-4 in the top of the eighth, Black rallied for a pair of runs. Shane Kroker led off the inning with a bunt single to third and moved to second when Mike Murray grounded out to second base. A fielding error by Austin Stadler allowed Matt Conway to reach and advanced Kroker to third. Kroker scored the tying run and Conway went to second on a wild pitch from Ryan Bouton. Jack Carey drew a walk and Ryan Lloyd struck out to put runners at first and second with two out. Wadkins drove in the game-winning run with a single to center field to put Black in front 6-5.
The Gold team had a great chance to tie the game in the bottom half of the eighth. Taylor Kaprive started the inning with a single and advanced to second on a ground out by Bentley Heyman. After a walk by Steven Brooks, Stadler grounded out to first to put runners at second and third with two out. Ryan McGrath came on in relief and after walking Mac Williamson, McGrath struck out Mike Lubanski to end the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Gold team was able to get a one-out single from Martin Kelly. However, Taylor Kaprive grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game and give the Black team the win.
Wadkins continued his strong offensive play in the Black & Gold World Series, hitting his second round-tripper and going 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored.
A total of five players on the Black team had two hits in the game. Jack Carey recorded two hits and drove in two runs. Patrick Blair, Kroker and Murray each added two hits.
For the Gold team, Mac Williamson went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Kelly had a team-leading three hits in the game, while Bentley Heyman and Stadler added two hits apiece.
Brandon Johnson earned the win for Black, throwing 2 2/3 innings and allowing three runs, two of them earned, on four hits. Bouton suffered the loss after allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits in three innings of work. McGrath notched the save, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings and striking out two.
Michael Dimock started for the Black team and went three innings, giving up two runs on five hits while striking out two. Niko Spezial earned the starting nod for Gold and allowed two runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings of work.
Alex Wiesner threw two scoreless innings in relief for the Gold team, surrendering just one hit and fanning three batters.
Gold grabbed a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first. With two outs, Stadler drew a walk and came all the way around to score after Williamson doubled to deep center field.
The Black team evened the game with a run in the top of the second. Wadkins hit a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence to tie the game at one.
The Gold team regained the lead with a single run in the bottom of the second. Kelly singled up the middle with one out and moved to second on a groundout by Kaprive. A two-out RBI single by Heyman gave Gold a 2-1 lead.
Black, however, was again able to tie the game with a run in the top of the third. With one out, Murray and Matt Conway had singles to put runners on first and third. Carey knotted the game with a single to right field to score Murray from third.
The Black team grabbed its first lead of the game with a run in the top of the fourth. Blair led off the inning with a double to the left-center field and with one out, stole third. Murray singled to right to drive home Blair to make the score 3-2.
Black added another run in the top of the sixth. Kroker started the inning with a double and moved to third on a groundout by Murray. After Conway popped out to short, Carey singled down the left field line to plate Kroker.
Gold regained the lead with three two-out runs in the bottom of the seventh. Stadler doubled to center field and came across the plate on an RBI single by Williamson. Williamson stole second and then swiped third when Mike Lubanski walked. Trenton Langston singled to right-center to score Williamson with the tying run. Lubanski also came across to score the go-ahead run when Wadkins bobbled the ball in right field.
