The Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team looked dead to rights, trailing by five runs after seven innings, but instead kept fighting and hit three home runs in the last two frames to take down Alabama 9-7 and win the series.
Alabama’s formula was nearly identical from Saturday as the Crimson Tide got a gem from starting pitcher Zane Adams. Adams gave the Crimson Tide six innings, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out five batters.
Vanderbilt first baseman Riley Nelson did the most damage on the day, managing two hits in five appearances. Nelson opened the scoring in the first inning with a solo home run then singled in the third scoring Rustan Rigdon for his second RBI of the game to put the Commodores up 2-0.
That was nearly the extent of the offense for the home side, meanwhile the visitors were just waking up.
Alabama scored three runs in the fourth inning as Vanderbilt starter Connor Fennell began to fade. Garrett Staton took Fennell deep for a three-run home run after Kade Snell and Richie Bonomolo Jr. drew walks.
Fennell walked Snell again to leadoff the sixth inning and Alabama’s Will Hodo hit a two-run home run to end the Commodores starter’s day. Vanderbilt needed Luke Guth and Miller Green to get out of the inning as Guth put runners on first and second allowing a single and a hit by pitch. Coleman Mizell and Bryce Fowler followed up with singles off Green to score both runners and give the Crimson Tide a 7-2 advantage.
Alabama brought Hagen Banks in to replace Adams in the seventh inning. His first inning of work was smooth as only Rustan Rigdon got aboard on from a throwing error. However, in the eighth inning, the ‘Dores made things interesting as Braden Holcomb smashed his sixth home run of the year to cut the lead to four runs. Mac Rose followed with a walk and then Colin Barczi launched a two-run home run to make the deficit only two.
Vanderbilt immediately got to Alabama closer Carson Ozmer in the ninth, putting runners aboard as Mike Mancini singled and Rigdon took a pitch in the back. RJ Austin’s sacrifice bunt moved the pair to second and third, bringing Nelson up to the plate as the winning run. Nelson hit a dribbler to the pitcher for the second out, holding both runners in scoring position, but Brodie Johnston stepped up and hit a double, scoring both runners and tying the game.
Braden Holcomb followed up with a two-run walk off home run as Ozmer blew his first save of the season and the Commodores claimed the series.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
