2021 College World Series Game 9: No. 4 Vanderbilt 6, No. 9 Stanford 5 (Stanford eliminated) (box score)
Spencer Jones scored on a wild pitch to cap a two-run rally with two away in the bottom of the ninth as Vanderbilt rallied past Stanford.
Trailing 5-4 with two away in the ninth, Javier Vaz fought back from a 1-2 count to draw a walk against Cardinal ace Brendan Beck. Pinch-hitter Spencer Jones singled to short and Vaz moved to third on an errant throw past first. Enrique Bradfield Jr. singled to right, plating Vaz with the tying run and advancing Jones to third.
“Going through my at-bat,” Bradfield said, “it all went back to my bat in the seventh inning when I faced Beck the first time, I chased a curveball in the dirt. I was, of course, frustrated because nobody wants to do that. But I knew I had to see it pop out of his hand. I was looking for a fastball and just saw it and reacted to it.”
Jones would come home on a wild pitch to give the win to the Commodores (47-16).
“I realize it’s tough to lose a game that way,” Corbin said, “no doubt about it. Been on that side. It’s just tough. But I thought we had some very good at-bats at the end. Javi’s at-bat was so good just to stay off a pitch, not leave the zone, just get to first base. Spencer Jones, pinch hitting, just putting the ball in the other side of the field, just putting it in play and getting to base. And certainly Bradfield leaning on a breaking ball and such a big hit, three quality at-bats in a row. And then the wild pitch.”
Stanford scored an unearned run in the first and Brock Jones homered in the third for a 2-0 lead. Eddie Park walked with the bases loaded and Jones added an RBI single in the fourth as the Cardinal (39-17) went up 4-0.
“The first four innings were sloppy,” Vandy head coach Tim Corbin said. “I thought we were tentative. Didn’t really handle the situation very well. And they were putting on us quick.”
Dominic Keegan smacked a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth as Vandy cut the deficit in half at 4-2.
“We had to have some type of response,” Corbin said. “Dominic’s home run certainly was a response to that.”
Brock Jones delivered an RBI double in the top of the sixth as Stanford pushed its lead to 5-2.
In the bottom of the frame, Tate Kolwyck and Parker Noland had run-scoring singles as the Commodores pulled within one at 5-4.
Luke Murphy (4-1) fanned three of the four batters he faced to pick up the win.
“One of those classic College World Series games,” Stanford head coach David Esquer said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t fall our way. I’ve been a part of a few of them. And some of them have gone my way. And so you just know that’s what happens here at Omaha sometimes. You get in those late innings and sometimes you have those magical endings for one team or another. And, hey, zero regrets on our side.”