March 27, 2010

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CBI Live
Runs early, relief pitching late lead to Vanderbilt victory

By Jimmy Jones

Special to CollegeBaseballInsider.com

(photos by Jimmy Jones)

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--The Vanderbilt Commodores scored all the runs they needed with two in the first inning and Taylor Hill, Chase Reid, Russell Brewer and Richie Goodenow (left) made them stand up to clinch the SEC series against the Kentucky Wildcats in a twi-night doubleheader on Saturday at Hawkins Field.
 
Brian Harris started the rally for the Commodores (3-2, 20-4) with a base hit past the third baseman and he was moved to third on a single by sophomore Aaron Westlake. Both runners advanced on a passed ball by Wildcat catcher Marcus Nidiffer to make it 1-0.
 
Andrew Giobbi plated Westlake with a clutch two-out drive into right field for the second run of the game.
 
Kentucky (1-4, 15-7) came back to cut the lead in half on a run in the fourth. First baseman Gunner Glad got things going with a one-out base hit and advanced to second when Keenan Wiley was struck by a pitch by VU starter Hill on a 1-1 count.
 
Nidiffer reached on a ball that he hit off the end of the bat that Hill reached in plenty of time but could not account for the spin and dropped it in the motion of throwing to load the bases.
 
Andy Burns' sacrifice fly to right field cut the lead to 2-1.
 
The Wildcats squandered the rally by stranding two runners when Taylor Black went down swinging on three straight pitches to end the threat.
 
VU escaped again in the fifth when Chad Wright (right) led off with a triple for the Wildcats. Neiko Johnson hit a shallow fly ball for the first out that Wright had to stay put on.
 
Chris Bisson and Cody Farris drew walks to load the bases and VU coach Tim Corbin went to the bullpen to bring in Reid.
 
Reid made his manager look good by striking out Glad and then induced a ground ball out off the bat of Wiley to get out the Commodores out of the inning with their lead intact.
 
Kentucky's frustration continued in the ninth as they stranded runners at first and third when Goodenow came in and earned the save when he struck out the only hitter he faced in Farris, who came into the contest hitting .313.
 
The Wildcats stranded 12 base runners in the contest.
 
Hill worked 4.1 innings for VU in a no-decision. Reid (left) threw 3.0 innings of solid work. He struck out three and gave up just one hit to pick up the win, his fourth of the season against one loss.
 
Left-hander Taylor Rogers (3-2) was the tough-luck loser for the Wildcats in a complete-game effort. He scattered seven hits and allowed just one earned run.
 
Kentucky will try to salvage one game of the series when Alex Meyer takes the mound in the second game of the doubleheader.
 
Jack Armstrong takes the bump for the Commodores.