Kerry pitches Carolina past Vanderbilt in series finale

South Carolina's Brett Kerry threw 5 2/3 scoreless relief innings, leading the Gamecocks to a 6-5 win over Vanderbilt in the finale of a three-game series at Nashville's Hawkins Field on Sunday.

Vanderbilt catcher C.J. Rodriguez had a single and a home run and knocked in three for the Commodores (15-3, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) while Jayson Gonzalez and Dominic Keegan drove in a run each.

Carolina's Kerry, the team's closer, has proven capable of pitching for long stretches and certainly did that on Sunday, striking out 10 while allowing just three base runners.

Vandy had a 4-0 lead after three innings. But Carolina stormed back for two runs in each of the fourth, fifth and eighth innings, finally taking the lead for good on Andrew Eyster's sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Early on, it looked as if the Commodores were poised for a series sweep a day after Jack Leiter no-hit the Gamecocks. Vandy starter Thomas Schultz breezed through the first three innings, extending Vandy's string of consecutive batters retired to an astonishing 36 after South Carolina shortstop George Callil grounded out to end the third.

Meanwhile, the 'Dores wasted no time manufacturing offense.

Enrique Bradfield walked to lead off the game, took second on a wild pitch, stole third and took home on a routine grounder to short where the throw was high and the freshman got under the tag.

With two outs in the inning, Rodriguez blasted a breaking ball over the big wall in left for a two-run homer, his first at Vanderbilt.

With two outs in the third, South Carolina starter Julian Bosnic hung a breaking ball to Rodriguez, which he smacked into center to score Keegan and make it 4-0.

Carolina got on the board when Brady Allen hammered Schultz’s first pitch way over the left field wall to start the fourth. Braylen Wimmer followed by slamming a hanging breaking ball out to dead center.

Vanderbilt got a run back when Gonzalez tripled in Cooper Davis in the bottom of the fourth.

In the fifth, Gamecock leadoff man Brennan Malone singled to chase Schultz (four innings, three runs, all earned, four hits, three strikeouts) for Ethan Smith, who went to 3-2 counts and walked the first two hitters he faced.

Allen then grounded into a double play, but a run scored. Wimmer laid down a bunt single, scoring another.

Vandy clung to that 5-4 lead until Allen led off with a double off Nick Maldonado and then Wimmer reached on a bunt single.

The 'Dores then went to closer Luke Murphy, who gave up sacrifice flies to Wes Clarke and Eyster, sandwiched around a David Mendham single.

Isaiah Thomas dropped down a bunt single in the ninth with one out and then stole second, but Vanderbilt couldn't get him in.

The Commodores had trouble squaring up Kerry's fastball, which sat around 90-92. He threw 75 pitches, 54 for strikes.

Keegan returned after a two-week absence due to a positive Covid-19 test. He hit third.

Parker Noland, who's played first in Keegan's absence, went back to the DH role, which is how he began the season.

Bradfield hit leadoff for the first time, with Vandy dropping Davis (its normal leadoff man) to seventh.

Fourteen of the 24 runners Schultz has allowed have scored, with all runs being earned. He's allowing 1.20 runners per inning but has allowed six home runs.