Raby, Bleday lead VU to series win at Tennessee

Led by pitcher Patrick Raby and right fielder J.J. Bleday, Vanderbilt got good pitching and timely hitting and defense in a 7-2, series-clinching win over Tennessee at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday evening.

Raby, a Farragut High graduate, pitched six innings of two-run ball in running his record to 4-5. He gave up six hits, walked two and struck out four.

Bleday led VU's 14-hit attack with a 3-for-5 effort, a run scored and two RBIs, and threw a runner out at the plate in a key situation early.

Four other Commodores--Ethan Paul, Philip Clarke, Pat DeMarco and Harrison Ray--each had two hits, while catcher Stephen Scott added a solo home run.

Zach King pitched two scoreless relief innings, and Tyler Brown closed it out with a scoreless ninth.

The Commodores (27-23, 13-13 Southeastern Conference), losers of three-straight series coming in to this one, took this one from their in-state rival after last night's 7-6 victory.

With Raby cruising after early trouble, Vandy held a 3-2 lead into the middle innings.

Scott swatted a sixth-inning homer just to the right of the batter's eye for a two-run lead.

Then, with two outs and nobody on in the ninth, Clarke singled and Kiambu Fentress, pinch-running for him, took third on DeMarco's single to left.

Tennessee lefty Garrett Crochet, brought on to get the lefty Bleday, got ahead 0-2. But then he left an inside fastball just below the belt, and Bleday hammered it off the top of the wall in right to put two runs on the board.

Harrison Ray added a double to right for Vandy's seventh run, and Brown gave up a pair of two-out runners before closing it out.

Things didn't start well for the Commodores.

The Vols led off the game with a pair of singles, and plated runs on a sacrifice fly and an infield ground-out for a 2-0, first-inning lead.

Tennessee had a chance to extend the lead in the second, but Vandy got two huge defensive plays. Scott threw out Brodie Leftridge trying to steal as Raby struck out Benito Santiago.

Then, after third baseman Jayson Gonzalez helped Brandon Chinea to a double after whiffing on a back-handed attempt to field a ground ball, Justin Ammons lined a single to right.

But Bleday, who'd thrown a runner out from right the night before until it was overturned by replay, gunned down Chinea at home to keep the lead at two.

And then, the bats came alive.

With one out, Paul singled to right, and Clarke doubled there, too. DeMarco singled to left, scoring two, and after a Bleday single, Ray grounded out to score a run.

That was all Vanderbilt would need. Raby gave up a walk and a hit batsman over the next four innings, and no more.

Ammons got UT's only other hit, a double off King, to lead off the eighth, then walked Pete Dekray. But a strikeout, an infield pop-up and another strikeout later, he got out of it.

The Commodores then added three insurance runs a half-inning later.

The teams close the three-game series on Sunday at 11 Central, a game that may be seen on WatchESPN.com.

Vanderbilt will throw freshman Mason Hickman against Tennessee's Will Neely.

Vanderbilt started the same lineup and batted in the same order for the second straight game.

The Commodores are now tied with Kentucky for sixth overall in the SEC standings. LSU could join the two teams pending the outcome of its Saturday game with Alabama.

Vanderbilt can clinch an SEC Tournament bid with a win on Sunday.

Scott has three home runs this series, and seven for the season.