Vanderbilt suffers first lost of 2021 to Georgia State
Georgia State's Elian Merejo hit a two-run homer in the ninth as the Panthers handed Vanderbilt a 4-2 loss at Nashville's Hawkins Field on Friday evening.
Jack Bulger and Dominic Keegan each had two hits for the Commodores (3-1).
Georgia State starter Ryan Watson threw five innings, struck out seven and picked up a win. The Commodores, ranked second by Collegiate Baseball, are the highest-ranked team the Panthers have beaten in program history.
With Georgia State (3-3) leading 2-1 entering the ninth, Merejo hit a two-run homer off closer Ethan Smith to extend its lead to three.
Vanderbilt's Parker Noland drove in a run with a one-out single in the ninth, and the Commodores had the winning run at the plate with one out. But Tate Kolwyck struck out and C.J. Rodriguez fled out to end the game.
That was part of a familiar pattern for the Commodores, who left 13 men on base compared to Georgia State's four.
Vanderbilt trailed 1-0 after Merejo scored on a sacrifice fly off starter Thomas Schultz (4 1/3 innings, two runs, both earned, two strikeouts), who took the loss.
The Commodores tied it in the bottom of the inning when Enrique Bradfield Jr. singled through the right side of the infield to score Bulger.
The Panthers' Tanner Gallman doubled off the left-field wall off Schultz to score the go-ahead run.
The Commodores had their chances, but Isaiah Thomas grounded into a 5-2 double play with the bases loaded and nobody out in the seventh. A Noland walk loaded the bases but Kolwyck struck out.
Vanderbilt drew eight walks and had eight hits, but just one for extra bases (a Keegan double).
“I knew we left some people on base, but it probably had more to do with, yes, trying to make things happen,” coach Tim Corbin said. “Swings got a little bit too big for our liking against that type of pitching. And we (struck out) 13 times – and that doesn’t say win or lose, but it’s when we did and the swings we took with guys in position that didn’t benefit us tonight.”
Five Vanderbilt pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts, with Luke Murphy fanning three in the eighth.
The teams play again at 1 Central on Saturday, and are scheduled to play a Sunday doubleheader. However, it rained part of Friday night and more Is expected throughout the weekend.