Bleday, Raby's record-setting days lead VU to sweep at South Carolina
Patrick Raby and J.J. Bleday each set major Vanderbilt records in helping the Commodores to a 6-2 win over South Carolina at Founder’s Park in Columbia, S.C., in the second game of a seven-inning, Sunday doubleheader.
Raby, who won his 30th career game, became Vandy’s all-time winningest pitcher, while Bleday’s 23 homer of the season set a new VU single-season standard.
Raby went 5 2/3 innings and gave up two unearned runs, striking out four and walking one.
Bleday was 2 for 3 and extended his on-base streak to 27 consecutive games.
Center fielder Pat DeMarco and shortstop Ethan Paul added home runs for the Commodores.
Vanderbilt (38-9, 18-6 Southeastern Conference) has won 11 in a row, and nine consecutive in the conference. The Commodores leave the weekend assured of at least a tie atop the SEC's overall standings.
DeMarco homered to give VU a 2-0 lead with nobody out in the second. With two out and the bases loaded, Paul delivered a line-drive, two-RBI single to right to chase starter Cam Tringali.
Raby lost his perfect game in the fifth, when shortstop Paul’s throwing error allowed the leadoff man, catcher Luke Berryhill, to reach. He lost the no-hitter when third baseman Jacob Olson singled to left, then, the shutout when left fielder Andrew Eyster followed with a single to center.
A Wes Clarke single to right added another. The Gamecocks loaded the bases before right fielder Brady Allen popped up to end the inning.
Carolina threatened again in the sixth, when center fielder T.J. Hopkins walked to start the inning. Berryhill grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, but Olson’s single to right chased Raby in favor of lefty Hugh Fisher.
Eyster greeted Fisher with a single, and then first baseman Chris Cullen flied out to Bleday in right, about a foot short of the fence, to end the sixth.
Bleday added his homer with one out in the seventh, and Paul followed with one to right himself.
Tyler Brown, who saved the first game of the doubleheader, relieved Fisher with one on and a 2-0 count to Jacob English, ended the game without giving up a run.
They were the first runs off reliever Brett Kerry, who’d thrown 4 1/3 scoreless until Bleday’s blast. The Gamecocks, whose pitching staff had been ravaged by injury—Carolina had just 10 available pitchers coming into the weekend—used Kerry for eight pitches in Sunday’s first game.
Vanderbilt travels to Louisville for a key non-conference game with the Cardinals on Tuesday.
Scoring summary
V2: DeMarco homer to left scored Duvall. V, 2-0
V2: Paul single to right scored Martin, Infante. V, 4-0
S5: Eyster single to center scored Berryhill. V, 4-1
S5: Clarke single to right scored Olson. V, 4-2
V7: Bleday homer to right. V, 5-2
V7: Paul homer to right. V, 6-2
