Vanderbilt Baseball (19-5) secured its fourth straight win on March 22, taking down Texas A&M by a score of 8-5. After dropping its first SEC series of the year last weekend at Auburn, the Commodores bounced back in a big way, sweeping the Aggies and reasserting themselves in the loaded conference.
Cody Bowker picked up right where he left off in his last outing against Auburn, cruising through the first three innings before running into some trouble in the fourth. The righty finished with eight strikeouts and allowed three earned runs across 4.2 innings of work.
Alex Kranzler and former starter Ethan McElvain were sharp in relief, allowing zero earned runs across 3.2 combined innings of work, with Tommy O’Rourke recording the final out. In total, Vanderbilt’s pitching staff racked up an astonishing 49 strikeouts across the three games this weekend. Though he ran into some bad luck in his second inning, McElvain in particular looked more comfortable on the mound.
“He’s going to pitch when it’s important, that’s for sure,” said Corbin. “I thought he did a really nice job. I’m happy for him.”
On the offensive side, the Commodores jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the third inning behind a two-run blast from freshman slugger Brodie Johnston. But it was the bottom of the order that truly igniting the offense, with lefties Mike Mancini and Jonathan Vastine combining to go 5-for-7 on the day. Mancini was on base all four times, sparking the bats as a second leadoff hitter.
“I think the last couple weeks have been kind of a spring training for him. It takes some time,” said Corbin. “You haven’t [yet] seen the player that I think [Mancini] is.”
The bats came alive in the seventh inning, as RJ Austin delivered a clutch, two-run single into right-center field to put Vanderbilt back in front.
“I just wanted to slow down the pitch and be able to deliver,” said Austin. “Baseball is a game of adjustment so I just had to make an adjustment and punch [the ball] the other way.”
Another Johnston RBI was followed by a towering three-run home run from Riley Nelson to cap off a six run inning for the Commodores in which they batted around and took full control of the game.
Top 1: Vanderbilt 0, Texas A&M 0
Bowker was immediately greeted by a Kaeden Kent leadoff double off the left field wall, but bounced back by punching out Wyatt Henseler and Jace Laviollete. Bowker then stranded Kent on second with a little help from Austin, who made a diving grab in center field to end the frame.
Bottom 1: Vanderbilt 0, Texas A&M 0
After a Humphrey strikeout and Austin groundout, Johnston reached on a hard-hit infield single. Patton rebounded by getting Nelson to whiff to end the first inning scoreless.
Top 2: Vanderbilt 0, Texas A&M 0
Bowker led off the second with back to back strikeouts of Gavin Kash and Bear Harrison. Hayden Schott reached on an infield single but Bowker induced a popup to retire the side.
Bottom 2: Vanderbilt 0, Texas A&M 0
A Colin Barczi walk and Mac Rose hit by pitch put two runners on to begin the home half of the second for the Commodores, but Braden Holcomb grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. With a runner on third and two out, Vastine couldn’t cash in and rolled one over to second base for the third out.
Top 3: Vanderbilt 0, Texas A&M 0
Bowker set down the Aggies in order in the third with a strikeout, lineout, and groundout.
Bottom 3: Vanderbilt 2, Texas A&M 0
Mancini ripped a single to right-center field to set up the top of the order with a runner on and nobody out, but the speedy Humphrey couldn’t beat out a 6-4-3 double play. After Austin was plunked by a fastball, Johnston ripped a two-run home run over the tall wall in left field to put Vanderbilt up 2-0. Nelson nearly went back-to-back but Laviolette made a leaping grab at the wall in center to limit the damage to two runs.
Top 4: Vanderbilt 2, Texas A&M 2
After flashing the leather to end the third, Laviolette led off the fourth with a ground rule-double to left-center. Bowker caught freshman Terrence Keel looking on a fastball but Kash followed it up with an RBI single to bring home Laviolette. Harrison ripped a line drive just down inside the left-field line, to put two in scoring position for the Aggies. Schott drove in a second run of the inning with a groundout but Bowker left the last guy stranded with his seventh strikeout of the day.
Bottom 4: Vanderbilt 2, Texas A&M 2
Patton retired the Commodores in order in the fourth, striking out both Rose and Holcomb to keep the game tied at 2.
Top 5: Vanderbilt 2, Texas A&M 3
Bowker easily set down the first two hitters of the inning, but third baseman Henseler laced a home run to left-center field to give the Aggies the lead and knock Bowker out of the ballgame. Southpaw Matthew Shorey relieved him and allowed Laviolette and Keel to reach via a walk and a hit, respectively. A nice charging play from Vastine and a scoop at first by Nelson retired Kash for the third out.
Bottom 5: Vanderbilt 2, Texas A&M 3
The bottom of the order gave Vanderbilt a spark with some small ball in the 5th thanks to a line drive from Vastine and a bunt single from Mancini. Humphrey laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring Austin up with two runners in scoring position and end Patton’s day on the mound. Sophomore Weston Moss entered on the mound and escaped the jam by inducing two weak contact balls in play off the bats of Austin and Johnston.
Top 6: Vanderbilt 2, Texas A&M 3
Kranzler took the mound in the sixth and recorded a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout and two popups.
Bottom 6: Vanderbilt 2, Texas A&M 3
Moss returned to the mound and set down the middle of the Commodores’ lineup in order, striking out Nelson and forcing back-to-back popups from Barczi and Rose.
Top 7: Vanderbilt 2, Texas A&M 3
Still on the mound, Kranzler opened the seventh with a strikeout before leadoff man Kent laced his second double of the game. After a strikeout and intentional walk, Kranzler struck out Keel to strand two and keep the Commodores within striking distance.
Bottom 7: Vanderbilt 8, Texas A&M 3
After Holcomb went down on strikes, Vastine and Mancini once again provided a spark for the offense with back to back singles, flipping the lineup and chasing Moss from the game. Luke Jackson took over on the mound and immediately ran into trouble, walking Humphrey to load the bases. Austin delivered the clutch hit Vanderbilt was waiting for, a flare into right-center field that scored two and put the Commodores back in front. Johnston followed with an RBI Single — the team’s fifth straight baserunner — to make the score 5-3. Nelson then blew the inning open, welcoming new pitcher Kaiden Wilson by launching a three-run homer to stretch the lead to five. Barczi struck out, Rose walked, and Holcomb, batting for the second time in the inning, flew out to finally end the frame.
Top 8: Vanderbilt 8, Texas A&M 3
McElvain began his transition to the bullpen, entering in the eighth and allowing a leadoff double to the first baseman Kash. He quickly rebounded by striking out the next three batters he faced, leaving the runner stranded on second.
Bottom 8: Vanderbilt 8, Texas A&M 3
Vastine struck out and Mancini walked to turn the lineup around for Humphrey and Austin, who struck out and flew out respectively.
Top 9: Vanderbilt 8, Texas A&M 5
McElvain returned to mound and walked the leadoff man before recording his fourth strikeout. Henseler singled and a dropped fly-ball by Humphrey in right put McElvain in some trouble. A flare single from Keel and groundout from Kash scratched two runs back for the Aggies and forced Corbin to bring in O’Rourke, who walked Harrison but struck out Schott to end the game.
