IOWA CITY, Iowa — Another day, another comeback for the Black squad.
Trailing 7-0 through four innings, the Black Team scored the game’s last nine runs to win Game 2, 9-7, on Saturday at Duane Banks Field to take a 2-0 lead in the Black & Gold World Series.
For the second straight game, redshirt senior Austin Martin (1-for-4, HR, 3 RBIs, 2 BB) clutched up in the final inning. With the Black Team down 7-6 in the top of the seventh, Martin launched a game-winning, three-run home run over the right field to give Black a 9-7 lead — its first of the game.
The Gold Team had two runners on in the bottom of the seventh, but redshirt junior Dylan Nedved shut the door to earn the save and one up Black’s five-run comeback from yesterday.
PHOTOS FROM GAME 1.
Gold started the game off with a bang on a long home run by redshirt junior Izaya Fullard (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs) in the bottom of the first. Redshirt junior Trenton Wallace posted a three-hit game, driving in three runs, while five different Gold hitters drove in at least one run in the first three innings.
Redshirt senior Zeb Adreon (2-for-4, RBI), redshirt senior Brett McCleary (2-for-5), and freshman Keaton Anthony (2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI) also recorded multi-hit games for Gold.
Black’s comeback began with a five-run fifth inning. Redshirt sophomore Connor McCaffery (2-for-4), who started in centerfield, drove in Black’s first two runs on a bases-loaded single to center.
Redshirt freshman Brayden Frazier (2-for-4, 3 RBIs, 2B) followed suit with a two-RBI double, before black added another run in the fifth and tacked on another in the sixth to trail 7-6 through six innings.
Like Game 1, all of Black’s damage was done in the final innings, scoring nine runs after the fifth inning.
Redshirt sophomore Drew Irvine started and pitched four scoreless innings for Gold, striking out six and allowing only one hit and two walks. Redshirt sophomore Jack Guzek pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief, allowing only one hit, while adding two strikeouts.
For Black on the mound, four relief pitchers – freshman Jack Radford, redshirt freshman Jacob Henderson, redshirt senior Trace Hoffman, and Nedved — combined to pitch five scoreless innings.
Game 3 of the best-of-five intrasquad series is set for Monday or Tuesday at Daune Banks Field. The game will be streamed live on Facebook @IowaBaseball.
