No. 22 Vanderbilt Baseball (17-5, 2-2 SEC) welcomed the Texas A&M Aggies (11-10, 0-4 SEC) into Nashville, Tennessee, for the first match of the team’s three-game weekend series. The game represented the VandyBoys’ SEC home opener, after dropping two-of-three games to Auburn in the Plains last weekend. The Commodores started slow but ultimately did enough on offense — along with a stellar team performance on the mound — to win 5-3.
Sophomore Connor Fennell earned the start — his first of the year — for head coach Tim Corbin, who opted for a lineup change amidst former starting pitcher Ethan MvElvain’s slow start to the year. Fennell’s night got off to a rough start as he allowed a two-run home run to just the third batter he faced, putting Vanderbilt in an early hole.
“[Fennell] got out there and responded really well to the home run. But that’s kind of, you know, what you’re getting with him. He’s an executor, he works quick[ly] and he’s a strike thrower,” Corbin said. “He’s going to be around the zone. There’s going to be contact.”
Jacob Humphrey crushed a 3-run home run in the bottom of the third inning to give Vanderbilt its first lead of the game, and thanks to strong showings from Alex Kranzler (1.1 innings pitched, 1 run and 0 earned runs) and Sawyer Hawks (4 innings pitched and 0 earned runs) out of the bullpen, it never relinquished the lead.
“We missed him last year,” Corbin said of Hawks. “He’s added a couple of pitches to what he’s doing. He’s got good confidence on the mound. He throws all his pitches for strikes and he’s a competitive kid.”
Top 1: Vanderbilt 0, Texas A&M 2
Fennell got off on the right foot, striking out leadoff hitter Kaeden Kent, but then things went awry as he struck Wyatt Henseler with a pitch. Things went downhill soon after, as LaViolette smacked a two-run shot over the right field wall to tie Texas A&M’s all-time home run record. Fennell settled in and rebounded nicely, striking out Terrence Kiel II and Gavin Kash to end the inning.
“You’ve got to have a quick mind in baseball, and [LaViolette] is a great hitter, Fennell said. “You make a mistake [and] he’s gonna make you pay for it. So just wash it [out and] get to the next pitch.”
Bottom 1: Vanderbilt 0, Texas A&M 2
Vanderbilt couldn’t get anything going at the plate to start, as a Humphrey popout, RJ Austin groundout and Brodie Johnston flyout ended the inning as quickly as it started.
Top 2: Vanderbilt 0, Texas A&M 2
Fennell continued to settle in as he struck out the side in the top of the second inning, catching Ben Royo looking before inducing swinging K’s from Hayden Schott and Bear Harrison.
Bottom 2: Vanderbilt 0, Texas A&M 2
Riley Nelson started the inning with a walk, making him Vanderbilt’s first baserunner of the evening. Colin Barczi and Mac Rose, batting in the fifth and sixth slots, couldn’t advance him after flying out, and before Braden Holcomb had a chance to make a dent at the plate, Nelson got caught in a pickle and was thrown out.
Top 3: Vanderbilt 0, Texas A&M 2
Fennell’s bounce back from the home run continued as he struck out Same Erickson for his sixth consecutive strikeout before lulling Kent into a groundout. Henseler got on base again with a blistering line drive to third base before LaViolette drilled a ground-rule double to the same spot he hit his home run.
The ground-rule double held Henseler up at third, and Fennell got Kiel to fly out to end the inning and strand two Aggies on the basepath.
Bottom 3: Vanderbilt 3, Texas A&M 2
Vanderbilt finally got some offensive momentum going as Holcomb singled, Jonathan Vastine walked and Mancini advanced them both with a perfect bunt down the third base line. With one out and two on base, Humphrey came back up to the plate and cracked a home run (his second game with a homer in a row) to the bleachers in left field. The 3-run shot gave Vanderbilt the lead. The inning ended soon thereafter.
Top 4: Vanderbilt 3, Texas A&M 2
Kash lined out on a well-hit ball after a superhuman effort in right field from Humphrey and Royo struck out swinging. Abase hit and a walk from Schott and Harrison, respectively, put runners on first and second and ended Fennell’s. Kranzler came in and closed the door on any potential two-out rally, striking Erickson out.
Bottom 4: Vanderbilt 4, Texas A&M 2
Nelson led off the inning with a double and Rose later drove him in with a single to add another tally to Vanderbilt’s total. A strikeout from Mancini stranded Rose, though, ending the inning.
Top 5: Vanderbilt 4, Texas A&M 3
Texas A&M worked runners to first and second base with one out before a ground ball went right to Kranzler for what seemed to be a certain double play: Instead, Kranzler hooked the ball left and into center field and Henseler scored from second. An excellent throw from Austin in center field got LaViolette out at third and Kiel advanced to first. Kranzler caught Kash swinging and ended the inning.
Top 6: Vanderbilt 4, Texas A&M 3
Hawks relieved Kranzler to start the sixth and got Royo looking before Schott doubled to left to put the tying run in scoring position. He got out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts that fired up Vanderbilt’s bench.
Bottom 6: Vanderbilt 5, Texas A&M 3
Nelson opened the inning with a strikeout before Barczi turned a base hit to the outfield into a double with some impressive awareness on the basepath. Rose struck out, but Holcomb came back with a clutch single, softly hit to left field, to score Barczi from second. Vastine ended the inning with a groundout.
Bottom 7: Vanderbilt 5, Texas A&M 3
Mancini singled to start the inning and Humphrey took his spot on the basepath after a fielder’s choice. Austin struck a ball well, but it went right to second base and Humphrey got doubled off of first base, ending the inning.
Top 8: Vanderbilt 5, Texas A&M 3
Hawks continued his dominance on the mound and struck out two of three batters in a 1-2-3 eighth inning.
Top 9: Vanderbilt
Hawks closed the game out for Vanderbilt, forcing a groundout and a pair of strikeouts. His final line of 4 innings pitched, 1 hit allowed and 6 strikeouts highlighted a stellar night for the Black and Gold’s pitchers. All in all, Vanderbilt’s arms allowed just five hits, three walks and two earned runs.
The ‘Dores and Aggies will be back in action on March 21 at 6:00 p.m. CDT.
