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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Mike Bolton Jr.'s leadoff walk led to the game-deciding run and Mason Gavre's three-run double stood as the victorious team's lone hit, both coming during a four-run sixth inning that made the Black Team a 4-0 winner in the opener of Purdue baseball's Black & Gold Series on Thursday.
Bryce Bonner drew the bases-loaded walk that plated Bolton and broke the scoreless stalemate. Entering the sixth inning, James Kulak and Dalton Parker had retired 15 of the Black Team's first 17 batters. Kulak struck out seven of the 11 batters he faced over three innings. Parker went six-up, six-down over his first two innings of relief.
Parker lost three full-count battles in the decisive top of the sixth (of a scheduled six-inning game). Bolton, Kyle LaPlante and Bonner all walked on 3-2 pitches. It was a 2-2 count when Gavre delivered his two-out, bases-clearing double to left field. Bonner scored from first base on the play.
Fellow catcher Zac Fascia would have scored from first base on Miles Simington's opposite-field double for the Gold Team in the fourth inning. But the ball landed on the warning track in left center and bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double. Fascia was thrown out at home moments later. The Black Team brought the infield in with one out and Kyle Wade got Jake Parr to hit a ground ball to LaPlante at shortstop.
Wade escaped the jam and closed out the victory by retiring eight of the final nine batters he faced, including a 1-2-3 frame vs. Gold's 3-4-5 hitters in the bottom of the sixth. He teamed up with Jackson Smeltz for the six-inning shutout. Wade has pitched eight scoreless innings over four appearances in game action this fall.
Smeltz retired three of the first seven batters he faced on pop outs to Justin Fugitt at first base. The lefty also picked off Skyler Hunter between first and second base to erase a leadoff single in the first inning.
As the nine-hole hitter, Bolton drew a walk and stole second base in both the third and sixth innings. Bolton's steal in the sixth allowed Milo Beam to bunt the speedy freshman to third base with only one out. LaPlante was down in the count quickly but battled back to draw the walk. Cole McKenzie was intentionally walked to load the bases.
LaPlante also made a clutch play defensively to prevent a two-out RBI infield single in the second inning. LaPlante's throwing error earlier in the frame gave the Gold Team runners on the corners with one out. Smeltz did his part by inducing yet another pop up to first base for out No. 2. LaPlante made up for the error by throwing out the speedy Justin Walker Jr. on a slow chopper to shortstop.
Game 2 of the series is slated for Friday at 5 p.m. ET. All three games are open to the public and admission is free at Alexander Field.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Mike Bolton Jr.'s leadoff walk led to the game-deciding run and Mason Gavre's three-run double stood as the victorious team's lone hit, both coming during a four-run sixth inning that made the Black Team a 4-0 winner in the opener of Purdue baseball's Black & Gold Series on Thursday.
Bryce Bonner drew the bases-loaded walk that plated Bolton and broke the scoreless stalemate. Entering the sixth inning, James Kulak and Dalton Parker had retired 15 of the Black Team's first 17 batters. Kulak struck out seven of the 11 batters he faced over three innings. Parker went six-up, six-down over his first two innings of relief.
Parker lost three full-count battles in the decisive top of the sixth (of a scheduled six-inning game). Bolton, Kyle LaPlante and Bonner all walked on 3-2 pitches. It was a 2-2 count when Gavre delivered his two-out, bases-clearing double to left field. Bonner scored from first base on the play.
Fellow catcher Zac Fascia would have scored from first base on Miles Simington's opposite-field double for the Gold Team in the fourth inning. But the ball landed on the warning track in left center and bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double. Fascia was thrown out at home moments later. The Black Team brought the infield in with one out and Kyle Wade got Jake Parr to hit a ground ball to LaPlante at shortstop.
Wade escaped the jam and closed out the victory by retiring eight of the final nine batters he faced, including a 1-2-3 frame vs. Gold's 3-4-5 hitters in the bottom of the sixth. He teamed up with Jackson Smeltz for the six-inning shutout. Wade has pitched eight scoreless innings over four appearances in game action this fall.
Smeltz retired three of the first seven batters he faced on pop outs to Justin Fugitt at first base. The lefty also picked off Skyler Hunter between first and second base to erase a leadoff single in the first inning.
As the nine-hole hitter, Bolton drew a walk and stole second base in both the third and sixth innings. Bolton's steal in the sixth allowed Milo Beam to bunt the speedy freshman to third base with only one out. LaPlante was down in the count quickly but battled back to draw the walk. Cole McKenzie was intentionally walked to load the bases.
LaPlante also made a clutch play defensively to prevent a two-out RBI infield single in the second inning. LaPlante's throwing error earlier in the frame gave the Gold Team runners on the corners with one out. Smeltz did his part by inducing yet another pop up to first base for out No. 2. LaPlante made up for the error by throwing out the speedy Justin Walker Jr. on a slow chopper to shortstop.
Game 2 of the series is slated for Friday at 5 p.m. ET. All three games are open to the public and admission is free at Alexander Field.
Game 2 of the Black & Gold Series is Friday at 5pm ET. #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/qeNiW1cFTE
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) October 17, 2019
#4faves from the @PurdueBaseball Gold and Black scrimmage today. #baseball pic.twitter.com/GEpAlZzAUB
— Dave Wegiel Photo (@pinolaphoto) October 17, 2019