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Box Score 2 MONTGOMERY, Alabama - Bluefield State made history Saturday evening winning the inaugural Black College World Series by defeating Xavier University of Louisiana, 7-2.
The victory came after losing their first shot at the championship in the afternoon against the Gold Rush.
The Big Blue jumped out to an early lead with six runs in the first off starter Anthony Dumas. After getting the first out, Dumas walked five straight batters staking the Big Blue to a 3-0 lead.
Dumas was relieved by Jamal Allen. A ground out plated a fourth run. Then Shane Reviello singled home Caden Carpenter and Noah Wooten for what proved to be an insurmountable 6-0 lead.
The Gold Rush answered with one in the second. Danny Coleman singled to center scoring Trae Hall.
The Big Blue got that one back in the fourth when senior Kevon Moxey railed one to the gap between center and right for a triple bringing in Reviello.
Xavier scored its second run in the fifth when Austin Anderson singled home Courtland Posey.
The game ended on a nifty double play turned by shortstop CJ Cooper and second baseman Taylor Tibbs.
The Big Blue's Austin Stambaugh was outstanding. He pitched a complete game, keeping at bay a powerful Gold Rush offense. He allowed only five hits and struck out seven. It was a bulldog, 125 pitch performance.
Allen was equally tough after the first inning. He finished out the game, going 7 2/3 innings. He gave up two runs and struck out six.
The Big Blue's win came after losing their first shot at the championship in the afternoon game. The Gold Rush showed why they came in as top seed pounding the West Virginians 16-2 in a seven-inning shortened game.
Tanner Brandon was named the Series Most Valuable Player, "Sometimes you never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory," said Brandon when asked what being the MVP meant to him.
Kevon Moxey became a Black College World Series champion in his last collegiate game. "No better feeling than going to war with my team and winning," said Moxey who had clutch hits throughout the series.
Bluefield State Head Coach Drew Bailey
Thoughts on today's Double Header Championship Win...
Bluefield State Head Coach Drew Bailey said, "I am so proud of this team. We went 4-1 in 4 days and played some really good competition. We had to play a really good Xavier team three times." Xavier left Montgomery 26-9.
Bailey then summed up what the Series meant, "Not only is this the first championship in Bluefield State Baseball history, this is also the first winning season in program history.
"All the credit goes to our guys. We could have rolled over after we lost to Xavier in Game 1, but we battled and got it done!"
The Big Blue finished at 15-12.
And the first ever champions of the Black College World Series.