No. 14 Vanderbilt was unable to continue its five-game winning streak on March 28, falling to the No. 2 Arkansas Razorbacks by a score of 9-0.
It was a slow day at the plate for the Commodores. The lineup failed to bring a run across the plate and mustered just three hits. The lone bright spots were Mac Rose, who reached base twice, and Rustan Rigdon, who crushed a pinch-hit double in the eighth inning.
“We could never really get in rhythm. Our swings weren’t comfortable,” head coach Tim Corbin said after the game. “And on the other side, I thought their swings were more comfortable.”
On the mound, starter JD Thompson struggled to prevent loud contact. He surrendered four extra base hits, including three home runs, en route to picking up his second loss of the season.
Top 1: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 0
Thompson got off to a strong start, inducing a flyout from leadoff hitter Charles Davalan after an eight pitch battle. He followed that up with a pair of strikeouts to retire the side in order.
Bottom 1: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 0
The Commodores went down in order during their first trip to the plate. Southpaw Zach Root got both Jacob Humphrey and RJ Austin to roll over to third base before striking out Brodie Johnston.
Top 2: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 0
The Razorbacks were unable to open the scoring in the second, going down in order once again. Thompson picked up two more strikeouts, displaying a strong command of his offspeed pitches.
Bottom 2: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 0
With two away, Rose worked a six-pitch walk to become the first base runner of the game. He was unable to advance, however, as Braden Holcomb flew out to right field to end the inning.
Top 3: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 1
A leadoff triple by catcher Ryder Helfrick spelled trouble for Vanderbilt for the first time in the game. Helfrick eventually came around to score on a ground ball from Nolan Souza that was snared by Jonathan Vastine, who made a one-hop throw to first base to record the first out. Arkansas kept the pressure on with a single and a walk, but Thompson limited the damage to one, picking up a strikeout and a groundout to quell the threat.
Bottom 3: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 1
The Vanderbilt bats remained quiet as the lineup went down in order for the second time in three innings.
Top 4: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 4
Arkansas swiftly doubled its lead thanks to a leadoff home run from Logan Maxwell. The long ball was his seventh of the season and fourth since the start of conference play. Thompson walked the next batter before surrendering yet another home run, this time to former VandyBoy Cam Kozeal. Despite additional hard contact, the deficit remained at four thanks to a spectacular play by Austin, who tracked a fly ball deep in the left-center field gap and slid to make an acrobatic catch.
Bottom 4: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 4
The top of the Commodore lineup was unable to muster a response in the bottom half of the inning. Root induced two groundouts and a pop out to keep his no-hit bid intact.
Top 5: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 4
Thompson bounced back with a much-needed shutdown inning in the fifth. He picked up his sixth strikeout of the game to close the frame.
Bottom 5: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 4
Rose picked up Vanderbilt’s first hit of the game with one away, driving a single up the middle on a 1-2 count. Root still managed to face the minimum number of batters, however, as he forced Holcomb to ground into a double-play on the very next pitch.
Top 6: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 5
Kozeal continued to give Vanderbilt trouble in his return to Hawkins Field, launching his second long ball of the game into the right field bleachers. Thompson was able to finish out what would ultimately be his last inning of the game one batter later, ending his day having allowed five runs on five hits and two walks.
Bottom 6: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 5
In what was a common theme for the night, Vanderbilt went down in order yet again in the sixth.
Top 7: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 5
Brennan Seiber came on hoping to keep the deficit at a manageable level and was able to do just that. He successfully navigated a pair of walks thanks to a strikeout and a ground ball double-play.
Bottom 7: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 5
Johnston ripped a single into left field for Vanderbilt’s second hit of the day before being thrown out trying to advance when Riley Nelson hit a ground ball to the first baseman. Having reached base on the fielder’s choice, Nelson managed to find his way to second on a wild pitch but was stranded there.
Top 8: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 6
Corbin went back to the bullpen in the eighth, turning to right-hander Hudson Barton. The first-year struck out two but surrendered a run on a double and three walks before being pulled in favor of Luke Guth, who quickly escaped the jam.
Bottom 8: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 6
Rustan Rigdon delivered a spark off the bench, launching a double off the left-field wall with one away. Two of the next three batters reached on walks, loading the bases for Austin and finally forcing Arkansas to turn to the bullpen. Austin put a charge into a ball, but it fell right into the glove of the left field, keeping the Commodores from scoring yet again.
Top 9: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 9
Ryan Ginther came on for the final frame and struggled to keep the Razorback bats at bay. He allowed three runs on three hits and two walks, giving Arkansas an even larger cushion to carry into the bottom half of the inning.
Bottom 9: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 9
The Commodores went away quietly in their final trip to the plate, ending a game without a run for the first time this season.
Vanderbilt will be back in action at Hawkins Field on March 28 at 2:00 p.m. CDT for game two of the three-game set against Arkansas.
