Vanderbilt Baseball (26-19, 10-11 SEC) returned to Hawkins Field on Wednesday afternoon for a midweek matchup against in-state program Middle Tennessee (22-22, 9-12 Conference USA). Last time out for the Commodores was a weekend series against No. 4 Texas, which the ’Dores dropped 2-1. The Black and Gold entered Tuesday’s game searching for a win after the devastating Sunday loss in extras, but they got the bounce-back win by downing Middle Tennessee, 9-1.
Connor Hamilton got the starting nod from head coach Tim Corbin and looked good in his appearance, ending with a final stat line of six innings pitched, one run, six hits allowed and seven strikeouts. He was aided by a potent Vanderbilt offense that got early momentum from a two-run first inning. The Commodores were seeing the ball well against Middle Tennessee, collecting a total of 10 hits and nine RBIs on the night.
“[Our] pitching was good [for sure],” Corbin said. “Hamilton going deep into the ball game, that was important, certainly on a short week too. But it was clean. Every pitcher. We didn’t have a walk, we didn’t have a hit by pitch, so that part was clean. That’s improving.”
Top 1: Vanderbilt 0, Middle Tennessee 0
Hamilton had a productive first inning, forcing Middle Tennessee into a ground out, a pop fly out and a ground out.
Bottom 1: Vanderbilt 2, Middle Tennessee 0
Ryker Waite started the Commodores on offense with a single to right field before Mike Mancini doubled to left center, scoring Waite for an early lead. Johnston was then hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs to bring Braden Holcomb up to bat. Holcomb then struck out, recording the first out of the night for Vanderbilt. Then, Logan Johnstone hit a single to right field to load the bases and Barczi flew out to deep right field where all runners tagged up and advanced. Rigdon brought the inning to a close on a groundout back to the pitcher.
Top 2: Vanderbilt 2, Middle Tennessee 0
Hamilton started the inning by striking out Dea O’Neill before Nathan Brewer singled to center field. Vanderbilt then collected back to back strikeouts on Bret Rogers and Layne Akers.
Bottom 2: Vanderbilt 3, Middle Tennessee 0
Tommy Goodin started the bottom of the second inning with an exclamation point by homering to left-center field. One run is all the Commodores would get in the second when Aukai Kea flew out, Waite lined out and Johnston grounded out.
Top 3: Vanderbilt 3, Middle Tennessee 1
The Commodores got a quick out on a ground out to Ryker Waite who’s throw easily beat the runner. But Hamilton gave up a solo homer to Clay Badylak, just his second of the season, before getting the second out of the inning. Tyler Minnick then doubled down the left field line before Cooper Clapp struck out swinging to end the half inning.
Bottom 3: Vanderbilt 6, Middle Tennessee 1
Holcomb started the inning with a single to right center, and Johnstone walked before Barczi homered to drive in three runs. The home run prompted a pitching change for the Blue Raiders who brought in Josh Pickens, replacing Abel Albarran. Pickens was able to get out of the inning by forcing Rustan Rigdon to line out, Goodin to ground out and Kea to fly out.
Top 4: Vanderbilt 6, Middle Tennessee 1
Hamilton returned to the mound for another inning of work and got two quick outs: O’Neill grounded out and Nathan Brewer struck out swinging. Brett Rogers then reached on a single that bounced off Hamilton, and then Rogers stole second on the next pitch, narrowly missing a pickoff. Vanderbilt got out of the inning without relinquishing a run when Akers struck out swinging.
Bottom 4: Vanderbilt 9, Middle Tennessee 1
Waite singled to center field before Mancini doubled to left field. The Blue Raiders made a pitching change, bringing Bryant Beranek in for Pickens, but the efforts would prove futile: Johnston homered to left field to bring in Mancini and Waite and put the ‘Dores ahead by eight. Holcomb kept the momentum going with a single to center field, but Johnstone hit into a double play.
Top 5: Vanderbilt 9, Middle Tennessee 1
Hamilton collected two quick outs for his team on a lineout and a strikeout, respectively, before giving up a single to Owen Nowak. Vanderbilt got out of the half inning on the next batter, though, when Tyler Minnick popped up to second base.
Bottom 5: Vanderbilt 9, Middle Tennessee 1
Rigdon started the inning with a well struck ball to deep center field but it was robbed as it went over the fence by the Middle Tennessee center fielder. That brought Goodin up to the plate, who struck out swinging, and then Kea lined out to end the inning.
Top 6: Vanderbilt 9, Middle Tennessee 1
Hamilton forced a groundout before allowing a single. That was all the offense that Middle Tennessee would get, as Brewer grounded to Waite who turned a four-to-three double play.
Bottom 6: Vanderbilt 9, Middle Tennessee 1
Waite walked to start the inning but Mancini promptly grounded into a double play. Johnston then drew another walk and Will Hampton entered the game as a pinch hitter for Holcomb. Hampton also drew a walk but Johnstone lined out to right field to end the inning.
Top 7: Vanderbilt 9, Middle Tennessee 1
Vanderbilt made several changes to start the inning, slotting Hampton in at left field and bringing in Nate Taylor to replace Hamilton on the mound. The Blue Raiders then went three up, three down.
Bottom 7: Vanderbilt 9, Middle Tennessee 1
Middle Tennessee made another pitching change to start the inning, bringing in Landon Sexton to replace Walker Shaw. Sexton forced Barczi and Rigdon to line out and fly out. It added a base runner when Maldonado, who entered as a pinch hitter for Goodin, walked. But then Kea struck out swinging to end the inning.
Top 8: Vanderbilt 9, Middle Tennessee 1
Vanderbilt made a pitching change to start the inning, replacing Taylor with Nate Schlote, who got out of the inning unscathed, collecting a foul out, ground out and a strikeout against MTSU batters while allowing a single to Minnick.
Bottom 8: Vanderbilt 9, Middle Tennessee 1
Sexton returned to the mound in the eighth and walked the first batter he faced, Colin Brightwell. The walk prompted a pitching change by the Blue Raiders, who brought in left-hander Colin Kerrigan. Carter Johnstone then entered as a pinch hitter for Mancini and promptly grounded into a double play. The inning came to a close when Max Jensen, who also entered as a pinch hitter, struck out looking on a 2-2 count.
Top 9: Vanderbilt 9, Middle Tennessee 1
Alex Kranzler entered for the Commodores in the ninth and promptly forced the Blue Raiders to go three up, three down, bringing the game to a close.
Vanderbilt will now head to Tuscaloosa to play No. 24 Alabama in a weekend series, starting April 30.
