No. 19 Vanderbilt Baseball (29-10, 10-7 SEC) played No. 5 Georgia on April 19 in its third game of the weekend series. After impressive wins on Thursday and Friday, the Commodores entered the game with the series win in hand but looking to complete the sweep. That’s exactly what they did.
Sophomore right-hander Connor Fennell got the starting nod for the weekend’s finale, squaring off against the Bulldogs’ Leighton Finley. In just his fourth start of the year, Fennell was excellent, finishing his afternoon with 5.2 innings pitched, 3 hits, 2 earned runs and 11 strikeouts on 83 pitches. Also making appearances for the Commodores on the mound were Luke Guth (1.1 innings pitched) and Sawyer Hawks (2 innings pitched).
“I think we are playing better as the year progresses,” head coach Tim Corbin said after the game. “And I felt that would happen. I always thought they’ll get better, [they] just need time. We will continue to get better; we have to because there’s a long way to go.”
Georgia struck first on offense, with Robbie Burnett hitting a solo-homer over the left-center field wall. In the same inning, three singles from Rustan Rigdon, Braden Holcomb, and Jonathan Vastine, respectively, scored Rigdon and evened the score at one-all. Riley Nelson put the ‘Dores up 3-1 on a two-run shot over the left field wall, but the Bulldogs struck back with a solo homer in the same inning. Vanderbilt tallied another two runs to extend its lead in the seventh with an RBI single from Mike Mancini and a sac-bunt from Brodie Johnston.
Top 1: Vanderbilt 0, Georgia 0
Fennell started the game with a bang, striking out Georgia slugger Slate Alford in just four pitches. The sophomore kept his foot on the gas promptly striking out Burnett and forcing Daniel Jackson to ground out to third base.
Bottom 1: Vanderbilt 0, Georgia 0
Finley quickly disposed of the top of Vanderbilt’s lineup, striking out Nelson while forcing Johnston and Rigdon to ground out and pop up, respectively.
Top 2: Vanderbilt 0, Georgia 0
Again, Fennell got two quick outs forcing Brennan Hudson to ground out to Mike Mancini in a routine play and Devin Obee to fly out to the left corner. The third batter of the inning, Kolby Branch, hit a long ball that was initially ruled a home run. The call was quickly overturned and Fennell put away Branch just two pitches later.
Bottom 2: Vanderbilt 0, Georgia 0
It was a quiet inning for the Commodores’ offense. Holcomb lined out right to the glove of the Bulldogs second baseman before Colin Barczi singled. After that, Vastine struck out, and Mac Rose grounded into the force play at second.
Top 4: Vanderbilt 0, Georgia 1
After a quiet third inning from both teams, Georgia struck first with a solo homer to left field from Burnett. Fennell limited the damage to just one run, striking out Jackson and forcing Hudson to end the inning.
Bottom 4: Vanderbilt 1, Georgia 1
Vanderbilt quickly threatened on offense when a pair of singles from Rigdon and Holcomb put runners at the corners with no outs. After Barczi struck out, Vastine delivered, hitting a single that had him safe at first and scored Rigdon to even the score. The inning was ended shortly thereafter when Vastine was caught stealing second base.
Bottom 5: Vanderbilt 3, Georgia 1
Rose started Vanderbilt’s offense by drawing a walk. With two outs, Nelson hammered a two-run shot to left field and put the Commodores up 3-1. Vanderbilt’s next batter, Johnston, struck out and ended the inning, but not before the ‘Dores had extended their lead to two.
Top 6: Vanderbilt 3, Georgia 2
While Fennell caught the first batter of the inning swinging, Georgia narrowed Vanderbilt’s lead when Alford homered down the left-field line. Fennell rebounded with a nine-pitch strikeout of Burnett before he was pulled from the game — likely on a pitch count watch. Sophomore Luke Guth replaced Fennell on the mound and quickly finished the inning, forcing the one Bulldog batter he faced to line out to second base.
Top 7: Vanderbilt 3, Georgia 2
Guth walked the first batter but got out of the inning unscathed when Obee and Ryan Black both grounded out and Branch fouled out.
Bottom 7: Vanderbilt 5, Georgia 2
With one out, Humphrey reached on a hit-by-pitch and advanced to second several pitches later on a wild pick off attempt. Mancini then singled through the right side to score Humphrey. Nelson singled to right center to advance Mancini to second. Georgia made its second pitching change of the afternoon, bringing in right-hander Brian Zeldin. A perfectly executed sacrifice-bunt from Johnston brought in Mancini. Rigdon then drew a five-pitch walk, but the inning was ended shortly after when Holcomb flied out to left field.
Top 8: Vanderbilt 5, Georgia 2
Senior right-hander Hawks entered the game for the Commodores and got two quick outs before allowing a single to Alford. One batter later, Alford would count for the third out when he got caught trying to take third on a single from Burnett, aided by an excellent throw from Rigdon.
Top 9: Vanderbilt 5, Georgia 2
Hawks returned to the mound for the Commodores and quickly put the game away, striking out the first batter, while forcing the next two Bulldog batters to ground out and fly-out, respectively.
The VandyBoys will return to action on April 22 against Middle Tennessee at 6 p.m. CDT before hitting the road for a weekend series against No. 11 Ole Miss.
