KNOXVILLE, Tenn.- Pinch hitter Cody Grisham was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to bring in the game winning run as Tennessee rallied to defeat Vanderbilt 4-3 Sunday afternoon at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Vols won 4-2 in the first game of the doubleheader and then took game two to claim the series. UT is now 21-20 overall and 6-12 in Southeastern Conference play, while VU fell to 32-11 and 9-9 in league play.
The Commodores took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh of the seven-inning contest, with starter Taylor Hill in control of the game. He recorded the first two outs of the frame before P.J. Polk laced a single to center on a 0-2 count.
Grayson Garvin came on in relief and walked Cody Hawn before pinch hitter Matt Hamaker hit a slow roller towards first. Aaron Westlake fielded the ball and rushed a throw wide of the bag allowing Polk to score and tie the game at 3-3. Reliever Drew Hayes came in and walked Blake Forsythe on four pitches to load the bases and pinch hitter Cody Grisham was hit on 2-2 pitch to score the game winning run.
Hill scattered nine hits over 6.2 innings, allowing three runs, two earned with five strikeouts and no walks. Garvin (1-1) took the loss allowing one unearned run, an infield hit and a walk.
UT reliever Steve Crnkovich handcuffed the Commodores with five innings of four-hit shutout relief. He struck out four and walked one to move to 4-1 on the year.
The Commodores jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first courtesy of two-out RBI hits by Aaron Westlake and Joe Loftus. Brian Harris was hit by UT starter Nick Blount to lead off the game. Riley Reynolds sacrificed him to second and after an out and a walk to Curt Casali, Westlake blooped a single to right to score Harris. Andrew Giobbi walked to load the bases, before Loftus singled up the middle to score two.
The Vols responded with a run in the bottom half when P.J. Polk singled and scored on a two-out double by Charley Thurber.
Thurber’s solo homer in the third cut the lead to 3-2.
The Commodores thwarted a UT opportunity to tie the game in the sixth when the Vols had runners at first and third and Josh Liles tried a squeeze bunt. Aaron Westlake fielded the ball towards first and flipped to Drew Fann at home who tagged the runner to end the inning.
VU was without the services of starting centerfielder Connor Harrell and starting second baseman Anthony Gomez, both of who collided in the outfield in game one. They were held out for precautionary reasons.
The Commodores will close out their eight-game road trip against Austin Peay on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Photo by Jimmy Jones
