BREVARD, N.C. - In his first career start, Drake Black (Williamston, S.C.) pitched a masterpiece as he threw eight innings of baseball to give the Brevard College Tornados (7-14, 2-4 SAC) a 3-2 victory over St. Andrews University (12-13) at Gil Coan Field.
Black, who made the longest appearance of his collegiate career on Thursday, allowed six hits in his eight innings of work while allowing two runs, one which was earned. The eight inning gem for Black marked the first time a Brevard pitcher went eight innings in a start and earned the win since the 2014-2015 season.
The Tornados entered the bottom of the eighth with the game knotted at two and a chance to knock the go ahead run across the plate. When the chance came, junior Josh Hall (Asheville, N.C.) answered the call.
After Brayden Morris (Pulaski, Va.) reached on an error that allowed him to take second base, Hall used a single to right center to drive home Morris for what would be the game-winning run.
The Tornados got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning on a RBI groundout by Morris after St. Andrews took the early lead in the top half of the inning. This RBI was made possible after Kyle Morrison (Greensboro, N.C.) reached on a HBP and Blaine Durham (Westfield, N.C.) added in a single.
In what appeared to be deja vu, Brevard answered the Crusaders after they added on a run in the sixth with a single by Hall that brought home Kyle Morrison.
All afternoon long, the Brevard offense answered the bats of the Crusaders as St. Andrews never held a lead going into the top of an inning.
Josh Hall led the eight hit Tornados offense with three hits on the afternoon while two Tornados added in two hits of their own and one other tallied a hit on the afternoon. Senior Brayden Morris and freshman Joe Nelms (Malabar, Fla.) each recorded two hits on the afternoon while senior Blaine Durham added in a hit of his own.
Hall has now hit safely in four of the last five games for the Tornados.
To close the door on the Crusaders, senior Tyler Konzen (Orlando, Fla.) tallied the save for Brevard as he threw an inning of scoreless baseball while striking out one.