The Commodores built an early lead, but were unable to hold out until late.
After a decisive victory for the series on Saturday afternoon with Jack Leiter’s streak-free history, number 2 ranked Vanderbilt Commodores dropped to number 16 South Carolina Gamecocks 6-5 on Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Field. The Commodores started out strong, but the Gamecocks moved away late, scoring six of the last seven races in the game.
“We are not always successful during the weekend, and some of those weekends can be difficult. As a player, you just need to recover. There is not much more you can do, ”said Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin.
Vanderbilt started the game with sophomore Thomas Schultz on the mound. Schultz started strong and was dampened with an early lead. At the top of the first, he retired all three South Carolina hitters relatively easily, scoring two eliminations. Schultz was helped by his teammates at the end of the inning, when first outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. arrived at the base with an initial walk. Bradfield Jr. stole the second, stole the third, and was then taken home by junior single RBI from Dominic Keegan. The next batsman, junior Tate Kolwyck, picked out a field player who left Keegan out in second. With only one eliminated and Kolwyck in first, the second year came CJ Rodriguez, who sent a strident home run to the left field, making the score 3-0.
Schultz hit two more hitters at the start of the second, leaving the inning without stress quickly. Commodores had no offensive production at the bottom of the second. However, another quick trip to Mount Schultz at the top of the third followed by another Rodriguez RBI – a single in the middle who drove in Keegan – left the Commodores with a comfortable 4-0 lead after three.
After 11 consecutive entries without allowing a man at the base, the tide for the Commodores has finally changed. South Carolina opened the fourth inning with consecutive solo shots: first by junior Brady Allen for the left field and then by the second Braylen Wimmer for the central field. Schultz ended the inning with some help from his defense after giving up two runs and three hits, with the Commodores winning 4-2.
To start at the end of the fourth, junior Isaiah Thomas started looking. However, the next one for the Commodores was Cooper Davis senior – Davis was stepped on, prompting the Gamecocks to make a pitch change and replace Julian Bosnic with Brett Kerry. The first batter Kerry faced, senior Jayson Gonzalez, smoked a triple to the right, taking Davis to the base and increasing the Commodore’s lead to 5-2.
Sophomore Brennan Milone started the fifth inning with a single for Gamecocks, which prompted Vanderbilt to make a change in pitch and replace Schultz with Junior Ethan Smith. With a man first, Smith walked two hitters, carrying the bases. South Carolina scored in Allen’s RBI groundout that turned into a double game in the first and second. With two eliminations, Wimmer chose to bring the third runner home. Smith came out of the door with the score now 5-4 in favor of the Commodores.
From the end of the fifth to the end of the sixth, the two teams were in check and there was not much action. At the top of the seventh, with the score still 5 to 4, the Commodores made a pitch change, replacing Smith with second year Nick Maldonado. Maldonado scored two strikeouts and forced a groundout to end the inning with the Commodores still in one.
At the end of the seventh, the Commodores failed to make an attack. Going into eighth place, the South Carolina bank was excited as they felt the momentum start to swing after keeping the Commodores off the board once again.
After South Carolina placed runners first and third at the top of the eighth, the Commodores made a pitch change and replaced Maldonado with junior Luke Murphy. Quickly afterwards, Allen scored for the Gamecocks after scoring a junior Wes Clarke RBI flyout. David Mendham then chose to the right, loading the bases with only one outside. Bradfield Jr. made an excellent dive capture for the Commodores for the second time of the inning, but the South Carolina runner, in third, scored and scored. For the first time in the game, Gamecocks took the lead 6-5. Murphy managed to get through the rest of the shift unscathed, but the damage was done.
At the end of the eighth, Kolwyck managed to reach first base in an arduous fight, attempting to dive, but was later discarded in an attempt to steal the second, which ended the inning. To start the ninth entry, Gamecocks placed runners on the first and third. Murphy, however, kept South Carolina under control and kept the lead in one. Unfortunately for the Commodores, they were unable to get a spark in the attack at the bottom of the ninth. Thomas chose and stole in second place, but his companions were unable to get him home.
Corbin attributed South Carolina’s victory to the launch.
“Kerry launched an incredible game. They won our bullpen when they needed it, and our bullpen is not easy to win, ”he said.
The loss of Commodores makes them 15-3 in the year and 2-1 in conference games. They will face Lipscomb Bison at Hawkins Field this Tuesday at 6:30 pm CT.