Another Wright outing wasted as VU falls in 12 innings

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Kyle Wright was outstanding, again.

His teammates gave him little help, again.

Missouri’s Robbie Glendinning singled to right off Matt Ruppenthal in the 12th, scoring Connor Brumfield for the game-winning run, as the Tigers snapped a 15-game losing streak against VU with a 2-1 win in 12 innings.

Vandy tied the game in the ninth to send the game to extra innings, but managed just one base runner in extras against Missouri closer T.J. Sikkema.

Neither Wright or Missouri starter Tanner Houck factored in the decision, but both were brilliant.

“I didn’t think that many runs would be scored,” VU coach Tim Corbin said. Both pitchers were really good.”

“(Both starters) made pitches when they had to. When they got to advantage counts, which didn’t happen very often, they threw their secondary pitch (well),” Corbin added later.

Vandy’s Wright matched a career high with 13 strikeouts. He went nine innings, threw 119 pitches and walked just one, but gave up a leadoff double to Kameron Misner in the fifth that later resulted in a run.

“It was a special performance,” Corbin said. “He’s a special kid.”

Missouri’s Houck wasn’t quite as dominant, striking out nine in eight innings on 120 pitches. But the Tiger ace was consistent all day, and didn’t face more than four batters in any inning except the seventh, when the Commodores singled three times, but shot themselves in the foot when J.J. Bleday failed to execute a hit-and-run that got Reed Hayes, who’d reached with a one-out walk, gunned down at second.

With a 1-0 lead heading into the ninth, Missouri brought on ace closer T.J. Sikkema, but Vandy answered the bell. Hayes walked with one out and pinch-hitter Harrison Ray, on a 1-2 pitch, perfectly executed a hit-and-run with a single to right that got pinch-runner Alonzo Jones to right.

Jason Delay followed with a liner to shallow center on an 0-2 pitch, but the speedy Jones tagged and scored easily to tie the game.

Vanderbilt then held its breath in the ninth when Johnny Balsamo doubled in the gap to left center, and Bryan Sharp, the runner from first, rounded third and headed home as Kendall corralled the ball in the outfield and relayed to Connor Kaiser at short. Jason Delay applied the tag at home in time, and the game stayed tied at one.

But Missouri struck back in the ninth when Ruppenthal, on for Maddux Conger with one out in the 12th and a man on second, left a 3-2 curveball over the plate, and Robbie Glendinning hit it to right for the go-ahead single.

“I liked the matchup,” Corbin said, when asked why he went to Ruppenthal, who’d given up home runs in big spots in his previous two appearances. “Matt’s been around a while. I don’t know what the outcome is, but I believe in Matt, and I will believe in Matt.”

“I don’t really care. You can call it stubborn, I don’t really (care) what anyone calls it. I’m going to put him out there because he’s done things before, and he’ll do them again.”

“We don’t have AAA, we don’t have AA, we don’t have A. We’re not bringing anyone up. We’ve got what we’ve got,” he continued. “They’re good enough. They’ve just got to get out there and get it done. That’s all there is to it.

“They’re kids who’ve been in this environment before. Sooner or later, we’ve got to get it done, but if we don’t get it done, it’s not meant to be. We’re just going to have to keep playing this way.”

Misner ripped a double to deep center, Chris Cornelius bunted him over, and Brian Sharp flied out to left for the game’s first run in the fifth.

The teams finish the series on Sunday, with Chandler Day expected to start for VU at 1 p.m. Central.

Attendance was 2,891.

A source at Vanderbilt confirmed that VU is making a bid to host an NCAA Regional.

For the third straight game, Ro Coleman hit leadoff and started in left ahead of Stephen Scott.

For the third straight game, third baseman Will Toffey (shoulder issues) did not start. Freshman Alex Brewer made his second career start in his place.

There was a stiff wind blowing in from right much of the day.

Missouri’s Trey Harris, who hurt his shoulder on Friday, didn’t play on Saturday.

M5: Sharp sacrifice fly to left off Wright scored Misner. M, 1-0

V9: Delay sacrifice fly to center off Sikkema scored Jones. T-1

M12: Glendinning single to right off Ruppenthal scored Brumfield. M, 2-1