Vandy uses 13-run seventh to blast FIU
NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Vanderbilt scored 13 runs in the second inning, and pitcher Christian Little threw 4 2/3 innings of scoreless ball, as the Commodores cruised to a 20-4 victory over FIU on Tuesday evening.
The Commodores (37-12) scored 12 of those 13 runs with two out, with Spencer Jones clubbing the inning's only home run.
Parker Noland and Enrique Bradfield Jr. tied for the team lead with three hits each, with Noland's five RBIs and three runs leading the team. Bradfield Jr. also drove in four.
However, a potential first-inning injury to shortstop Carter Young put a damper on the night. Young left the game in the second inning after hurting his left shoulder grabbing the bag when he was caught stealing second.
Young lay in the field in pain for a couple of minutes and came out immediately. He spent most of the rest of the evening in the dugout with a sling on that arm.
Coach Tim Corbin said after the game that he didn't know the extent of Young's injury or his status going forward, but offered some encouragement.
"He was on the bench and he wasn't in any pain, but I'll find out here in a little bit," Corbin said.
The Commodores moved second baseman Tate Kolwyck to short, put Noland (who started at third) at second and inserted Jayson Gonzalez at third.
Little threw well, excepting a two-out, first-inning home run to Justin Farmer. He struck out six, allowed just for runners and ran his record to 3-1.
"Strikes. Angle to the fastball," Corbin replied, when asked what he liked about Little's night." Landing the breaking ball. Once the first breaking ball got hit out, he made a nice adjustment to it. I think you have to give a lot of credit to (catcher) Max Romero, too, because Max called the game. ... He made nice adjustments in the game that were very executable."
Little worked heavily off his fastball for most of the first three innings, when it consistently sat 94-95 on the stadium gun and occasionally touched 96. His best pitch of the night, however, may have been an 81-mile-an-hour slider he used to get the first out in the fifth.
Vanderbilt, which had just given up a 10-run inning in its last game to Ole Miss, put on an incredible offensive display in the second.
Noland beat out an infield grounder, and Jones smoked a one-out hustle double through second, as Noland got a good jump off first and steamed around third to tie the game at 1. Kolwyck walked and Romero Jr. singled to left to load the bases.
A Troy LaNeve strikeout put the inning on pause until Bradfield ripped a double to right. scoring two. Dominic Keegan's infield single added another before Noland ripped a double near first baseman Adrian Figueroa that got by him almost before he could react.
All that came off FIU starter Tyler Myrick, who'd been a part of FIU's weekend rotation for eight conference starts. FIU then went to lefty Will Saxton, who didn't fare any better.
Isaiah Thomas followed with a double that hugged the third-base line, scoring a run before Jones launched an opposite-field homer over the big wall in left.
Kolwyck and Romero then walked before LaNeve also delivered a double down the third-base line, Bradfield then singled up the middle to score the inning's final two runs.
Noland added a two-RBI double in the fifth and later scored on Kolwyck's single. Gonzalez doubled in Jack Bulger in the sixth, Alan Espinal added his first collegiate homer on a no-doubter to left in the eighth, then, Jack O'Dowd ripped.a two-RBI double to right for the game's final two runs.
Gage Bradley and Donye Evans both threw perfect innings, and Nelson Berkwich threw a scoreless inning and a third in which he struck out four hitters.
It was the last mid-week contest for the Commodores, who lost just one mid-week outing all season.
Vanderbilt starts a three-game series with Kentucky at Hawkins Field this weekend to close out the regular season.