Pregame
Vanderbilt starts right-hander Kyle Wright (2-5, 3.35) against Arkansas right-hander Blaine Knight (6-3, 3.63). Both have 82 strikeouts on the year. It's a matchup of two of the premier draft eligible pitchers in college baseball. Wright is a junior. Knight is a sophomore, but is draft eligible because of age.
There's one notable lineup change for the Hogs. Senior Alex Gosser will open the game as the designated hitter and that's fitting on Senior Night. He's batted .304 in limited action for the Hogs. He gives Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn another lefty bat against the Vandy ace. That puts Luke Bonfield in left field, after DHing on Friday night when he was the hero with a home run and a walk-off RBI single. Jake Arledge moves from left to right field.
It's a perfect night for baseball. Game-time temperatures are 77 with virtually no wind. The flags are hanging limp behind the wall in right field.
First Inning, 0-0
The expected pitching duel was on in the first inning. Both starters hit 96 on the radar gun. Knight did five up an infield single to diminutive Ro Coleman. A bouncer went off the Chad Spanberger's glove at first base. Spanberger probably kept Carson Shaddy from making the play behind him. Coleman stole second after Jeren Kendall went down swinging. Julian Infante was called out.
Wright fanned Jake Arledge, Spanberger and Luke Bonfield. The first two went down swinging. Bonfield was called out on a breaker that was probably inside.
Second Inning, 0-0
Vandy put a runner in scoring position, but Knight got J.J. Bleday on a ground out to Carson Shaddy to end the top of the frame. Ethan Paul reached on a walk, getting a 3-2 call on a pitch that was close to the inside corner. Paul was running on Jason Delay's grounder to short for the second out of the inning.
Shaddy's ground-out to second base was the first ball in play by the Hogs. But that ended the second after Grant Koch and Jared Gates were out swinging. Wright got the first five Hogs by strikeout.
Third Inning, 0-0
Vandy threatened again in the third, but Knight struckout the big boppers in the heart of the lineup for the final two outs. Will Toffey reached on a one-out bunt single. Gates tried to make a bare-hand throw on the run, but was high to first. Coleman got a flare to drop in front of Bonfield in left for a single. Bonfield lost it in the sun initially. Kendall fanned on high heat. Infante went fishing on a slider on the outer edge, another strikeout for the third out.
Gosser worked a leadoff walk to become the first Arkansas base runner. He battled with fans cheering him on in an 11-pitch at bat. Wright had thrown only 15 pitches to the first six Razorbacks. Fletcher hit a bouncer to third with Gosser forced at second. Fletcher beat the relay to first after second sacker Paul double clutched with the hefty Gosser closing in. Jax Biggers reached on another fielder's choice on a grounder to short that forced Fletcher. Paul's relay to first was over the first baseman's head. It didn't appear Paul was on the bag on either one of the force outs at second. Arledge popped out on the infield to end the inning. But the Hogs did accomplish one thing in the third, they got Knight's pitch count up a little. They worked three full counts to get Knight to 52 pitches on the night.
Fourth Inning, 0-0
For Vandy, Reed Hayes worked a leadoff walk on a 3-2 count. Hayes moved to second on a wild pitch when Koch couldn't handle a bouncer in front of him. Hayes moved to third on Paul's bouncer to Shaddy at second for the first out. Bonfield had trouble with the sun on a short fly to left, but did find it in time for the second out. Shaddy ranged far to his right, scooping and throwing on the move almost in front of the bag at second to throw out Bleday for the last out of the fourth.
The Hogs went one-two-three. Spanberger hit a deep fly to straight away center, caught just in front of the warning track, probably 395 feet away. Bonfield fanned. Koch bounced out to short.
Fifth Inning, Vandy 1-0
Will Toffey hit a one-out solo homer for the game's first run. He lined a belt-high 0-2 pitch into the Vandy bullpen to put the Commodores ahead. Knight appeared to hang a breaking ball. After Coleman walked, both Cannon Chadwick and Josh Alberius began to throw in the bullpen. Knight got Kendall on a liner to right and Infante on a pop to left.
The Hogs were still without a hit through five innings. Wright set them down 1-2-3 with Gates and Gosser out on strikes. Gosser was called out on a nasty back-door breaking ball.
Sixth Inning, Vandy 1-0
Hayes and Paul both singled to start the inning to end Knight's evening after 92 pitches and six hits. Chadwick, who had not pitched since the Ole Miss series, got the call to the bullpen. Delay bunted back to Chadwick. The throw was wide at third, but Gates stretched on a dive to get the lead runner Hayes. Kacey Murphy relieved to setup a lefty-lefty matchup against Bleday. Murphy fanned him on four pitches. Kaiser sent Fletcher back about five steps in center for the third out as the Commondores stranded two.
Jax Biggers stroked a one-out single to right field to break up Wright's no-hitter. It was a hard-hit liner. That followed Fletcher's hard out to first base. Biggers was on the move when Jake Arledge tapped back to Wright. The throw had to go to first with Biggers moving into scoring position. Spanberger fanned on four pitches to end the inning.
Seventh Inning, Vandy 4-0
With one out, Coleman reached on a swinging bunt with Shaddy late covering first base. Kendall followed with a single to right. Infante slammed a line drive for a three-run homer into the Hog Pen to make it 4-0 Vandy. It was his 10th of the season. Hayes and Paul both walked on 3-2 pitches, covering 23 pitches. That brought on Alberius from the bullpen. Koch threw out Hayes trying to steal third. Delay was called out on strikes.
Bonfield singled to open the inning. His soft liner in left was almost caught by a charging Coleman. Umpires reviewed whether it was a catch or a trap, but allowed the safe call to stand. Koch fanned on a 95 mph fast ball, Wright's 103rd pitch. Gates struck out on a checked swing, his third of the night. Shaddy's grounder to short forced Bonfield at second for the third out.
Eighth Inning, Vandy 4-0
Alberius allowed a two-out walk. Coleman, with three hits and a walk, was finally retired on a pop to left field for the final out of the inning.
Right-hander Drake Fellows relieved Wright to start the eighth. Wright's allowed two hits in seven innings. Wright gave up two hits in seven innings and left after 107 pitches. The Hogs went down 1-2-3. Gosser and Biggers tapped out and Fletcher fanned.
Ninth Inning, Vandy 6-2
Infante slapped a one-out double past Shaddy at third base. Shaddy tipped the ball with a head-lone dive towards the line. Hayes singled sharply to right with Infante holding at third. Hayes went to second on Arledge's high throw to the plate. Paul fanned. Delay singled sharply to left to drive in Infante and Hayes. Bleday ended the inning on a pop to shortstop.
Jake Arledge led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and then to third on Spanberger's ground out. Arledge scored on Bonfield's ground out. Koch followed with a homer to right field to make it 6-2. Williams popped to center to end the game.
Attendance was 8,021