IOWA CITY, Iowa — A six-run seventh inning propelled the Gold Team to an 8-0 victory in game two of the Black & Gold World Series at Duane Banks Field on Thursday. The Black Team won the World Series opener, 7-5, on Wednesday.
The Gold Team put up a strong defensive showing in Thursday’s shutout. Junior Anthony Watts opened the game on the mound for Gold, giving up two hits and striking out one batter through three innings of work. Freshman Tyler Guerin replaced Watts in the fourth frame and struck out four of the six batters he faced. Daniel Wright entered in the sixth inning and closed out the remainder of the game for Gold, adding on three more punchouts.
Three different pitchers saw the mound for the Black Team, too. Freshman Jaron Bleeker started on the bump and pitched three innings, striking out one hitter. Brant Hogue took the mound for the next 3 2/3 innings, giving up four hits and striking out three. With the bases loaded and two gone in the seventh, freshman Ty Mikkelsen came in to earn the last out.
The Gold Team struck first on offense and totaled six hits. Following a leadoff double from Daniel Rogers in the second inning, Gold capitalized on defensive miscues, plating a run on a wild pitch and then scoring on an errant pickoff throw to third base that ended up in the outfield.
The Black Team had two men on in the bottom of the second when Rogers, the catcher, back picked the runner at first base to prevent any damage. Rogers made a couple more big plays for the Gold Team in the next inning, throwing out two runners who were hustling to third.
Both teams were quiet at the plate in the third and fourth frames. The Black Team had two runners in scoring position in the fifth, but Blake Guerin fielded a hard grounder to end the inning and keep the Gold Team in control.
The Black Team threatened to score again in the sixth inning, starting with a Miles Risley leadoff double. Then, Kellen Strohmeyer was hit-by-pitch, and Merrick Mathews beat out a ball in the infield to load the bases with two outs. With a full count, Wright forced a grounder, and Kooper Schulte made a nice play in the hole at shortstop to keep the Black Team scoreless.
The Gold Team tacked on six insurance runs in the top of the seventh, highlighted by Caleb Wulf’s 2 RBI single, Tyler Guerin’s RBI ground rule double, and Schulte’s RBI base knock up the middle. The other two runs scored on bases loaded walks.
Up Next
The Hawkeyes will host a winner-takes-all game three on Friday to decide the Black & Gold World Series Champion. First pitch is set for 3 p.m., and admission is free. The Gold Team swept the Black Team in last season’s World Series.