The VandyBoys took the field on Friday afternoon for the rubber match of the David Williams Fall Classic. After Team Gold took Game 1 6-1 to kick off the annual series last Friday, Team Black responded with a 4-2 victory on Tuesday afternoon to even things at one game a piece. In what was a tightly-contested affair from start to finish, Team Black prevailed 3-0 thanks to excellent pitching performances and some timely base hits.

A slew of fresh faces made their mark on the game, as recent Nashville arrivals Matthew Shorey and Cody Bowker dominated on the mound, while freshman Rustan Rigdon, Will Hampton and Tommy Goodin all turned in solid performances at the plate. Among the more impressive returners were Brennan Seiber, who tossed three scoreless innings, RJ Hamilton, who was responsible for driving in the game’s first run, and JD Rogers, who finished 3 for 4 with an RBI.

What they said

Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin praised the competitive nature of the series as a whole.

“I thought the approach to the game itself was good,” Corbin said. “We played good defense and pitched well on both sides, and I think from that vantage point, that’s really all you want to see.”

Corbin also praised some of the new arms that have joined the program this year, focusing on Cody Bowker and what he could bring to the rotation.

“I like how he goes about pitching,” Corbin said. “He’s convicted about what he’s going to do. You know he’s going to throw strikes, and he’s going to come after the hitter.”

Turning to the bats, Corbin noted that it’s too early to know how this group stacks up to those of the last few years.

“We still have a ways to go,” Corbin said. “But I think, as a whole, there are certainly some pieces that will challenge one another, and that’s what we need. Intra-team competition drives competition as a whole.”

Corbin also praised RJ Hamilton for his performance throughout the fall. 

“I think he’s had a good fall,” Corbin said. “He’s going to improve because he’s smart, and he’s tough and he knows what he wants.”

Hamilton explained that participating in the Black-and-Gold series was a special experience after he missed last season. 

“It feels amazing [to be back on the field],” Hamilton said. “It’s a testament to the work I put in over the fall, over the spring, and over the summer just to be back in this position and do what I want to.”

When asked about his RBI triple, Hamilton noted that he wants to serve as a “spark plug” for the team. 

“I was just looking to hit something,” Hamilton said. “Just looking to drive something and get something going for the team because it was still 0-0 at that point.”

On the pitching side, Seiber credited his ability to land the fastball as the reason for his strong performance. 

“I thought I was throwing my fastball for strikes really well,” Seiber said. “I was in front of the counts more, and that helped me to do more with the offspeed and get more strikeouts.”

The game

Final

The game took the shape of a classic pitcher’s duel, as neither offense could get anything going through the first four innings. Shorey and Bowker, the two starting pitchers, combined to toss 5.1 innings of shutout ball as each surrendered just two base runners while striking out three. Team Black tallied the game’s first run on an RBI triple by Hamilton and never looked back as Seiber kept Team Gold’s offense at bay throughout the middle innings. A balk and a single from Rogers helped to extend the lead in the top of the seventh, and a strong performance by Sawyer Hawks in the bottom half of the inning shut the door on the series as Team Black took home the win.

Top 1: Black 0, Gold 0 

Shorey, a Nashville native, got the start for Team Gold and made quick work of the first two batters he faced, inducing a groundout from Brodie Johnston and a flyout from RJ Austin on just six pitches. Rogers kept the left-hander from retiring Team Black in order by poking a single into center field, but he was stranded at first base following a flyout to left from fellow senior Jayden Davis. 

Bottom 1: Black 0, Gold 0

Cody Bowker found equal success in his opening frame despite surrendering some hard contact, allowing no runs while facing the minimum. After leadoff batter Chris Maldonado was robbed of a base hit on a hard line drive to right field, Rigdon laced a ball into the right-center field gap for a one-out double. He attempted to tag up and advance to third base on a flyout from transfer Mac Rose, but he left early and was called out, ending Team Gold’s chance at an early run. 

Top 2: Black 0, Gold 0 

Colin Barczi worked a six-pitch walk to lead off the second, but Shorey responded admirably, striking out two of the next three batters to prevent any runs from coming across. The freshman displayed excellent command of his fastball, locating it on both sides of the plate to keep the opposing offense off balance. 

Bottom 2: Black 0, Gold 0

Not to be outdone by his counterpart, Bowker dominated the heart of Team Gold’s lineup in the bottom half of the inning. He sat down Jonathan Vastine, Mike Mancini, and David Mendez in order, though he did get some help from RJ Hamilton, who made an impressive sliding catch in right field. 

Top 3: Black 0, Gold 0

Shorey finished off his outing with a strikeout of Hamilton before giving way to freshman Hudson Barton with one out in the third. The right-hander picked up right where his predecessor left off, allowing a runner to reach on an error by Vastine but quickly erasing him with a ground ball double play. 

Bottom 3: Black 0, Gold 0

It was more of the same for Bowker in the third, as he struck out two and allowed just one baserunner on a single by Hampton in his final frame of the night. The Georgetown transfer has put together an excellent fall and is quickly emerging as one of the most exciting off-season additions for the Commodores this year. 

Top 4: Black 0, Gold 0 

Defense was the name of the game in the top half of the fourth, as a pair of strong plays on the field by Team Gold kept the game scoreless. The first came when Rogers lined his second hit of the day to center field to lead off the inning but was gunned down trying to stretch it to a double by Mendez. Vastine reminded those in attendance of his defensive prowess two batters later when he backhanded a ground ball deep in the hole and fired it across the diamond to retire Barczi by a step. 

Bottom 4: Black 0, Gold 0

Team Black turned to the bullpen in hopes of keeping the game tied, and sophomore Brennan Seiber stepped up to the task. The right-hander struck out two and displayed an impressive array of offspeed pitches in a scoreless first inning of work.

Top 5: Black 1, Gold 0

The scoreless tie was finally broken in the top of the fifth as Hamilton drilled an RBI triple over the right fielder’s head, scoring Goodin, who had singled earlier in the inning. Senior transfer Tommy O’Rourke came on to limit the damage and did exactly that, stranding Hamilton at third and keeping the deficit to one. 

Bottom 5: Black 1, Gold 0

Determined to maintain its narrow advantage, Team Black blanked Team Gold yet again in the fifth. Seiber recorded a third strikeout in what ended up as a one-two-three inning thanks to a spectacular diving play by Davis on a ground ball that seemed destined for the outfield. 

Top 6: Black 1, Gold 0 

After surrendering a leadoff walk to Austin, O’Rourke gave way to left-hander Miller Green. The sophomore traversed a one-out infield single by Davis to keep Team Black at bay, striking out back-to-back batters with runners on first and second base to close out the frame. 

Bottom 6: Black 1, Gold 0

Seiber delivered another scoreless inning in the sixth, concluding a strong performance out of the bullpen. After striking out the first two batters he faced, he allowed a single line drive to Rigdon but escaped unscathed when Braden Holcomb snagged a screaming line drive at first base. 

Top 7: Black 3, Gold 0

Green ran into some tough luck in his second inning of work, striking out two but failing to finish the frame thanks to an infield single by Johnston that made it less than halfway to the pitcher’s mound. Freshman England Bryan entered with runners on the corners and two down but quickly ran into trouble, committing a balk after just two pitches to allow a run to score. Following a wild pitch, a walk, and a stolen base, Bryan found himself facing Team Black’s hottest hitter, Rogers, who singled up the middle to add another insurance run to the lead. 

Bottom 7: Black 3, Gold 0

With a comfortable three-run cushion in hand, Sawyer Hawks entered the game in search of a save. Despite allowing a two-out baserunner, he kept the shutout intact and erased any hopes of a late-inning comeback for Team Gold. 

With the fall season coming to a close, all eyes will now turn to the spring as Vanderbilt searches for its 19th consecutive NCAA tournament berth.