Corbin | Ferguson | Wiel | Highlights | Swanson’s Web Gem
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No. 25 Vanderbilt finished off the team’s first series sweep in league play on Sunday with a 6-1 win over Georgia at Hawkins Field.
The Commodores’ (33-12, 11-10) offense could not seem to come up with the big hit in the first four innings leaving four runners in scoring position. Zander Wiel, however, changed that in the fifth inning. Rhett Wiseman led off the frame with a walk and Dansby Swanson was hit by a pitch to put two Dores aboard. Wiel then came through with a clutch one-out single to right field to score two runs and give the home team the lead for the first time.
With a one-run lead, Vandy handed the ball to Adam Ravenelle out of the bullpen. The right-hander was fantastic over three scoreless innings, retiring nine of the first 11 batters he faced. The right-hander struck out five and scattered two hits before handing it over to Brian Miller, who needed just 10 pitches to finish off the win.
Three Georgia (21-22-1) errors in the sixth led to two more VU runs despite the Dores not registering a hit. Wiel added a solo home run off the left field scoreboard in the eighth and Rhett Wiseman walked and came all the way around to score an extra insurance run in the eighth.
Vanderbilt starter Tyler Ferguson earned the win with five strong innings. The sophomore allowed one unearned run on three hits with one walk and five strikeouts to improve to 6-3 on the year. Ferguson pitched out of a jam in the first inning when the first two Bulldogs of the day reached base but the right-hander bounced back to get a ground out and his first two strikeouts to end the threat and keep Georgia off the scoreboard. The lone Bulldogs’ run came in the second when a two-out error was followed by a double off the angle of the left field wall to allow the run to score from first.
Wiel led the way as one of three Commodores to have two hits in the win, driving in three runs and hitting his second home run of the season. Dansby Swanson went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, reaching base five times. Vince Conde chipped in a pair of singles for his second two-hit game of the weekend. Mike Bell knocked in the only Georgia run and had two of his team’s five hits.
Vanderbilt will not play a midweek game this week as the team wraps up final exams. The Commodores return to the road with the team’s first-ever trip to Missouri on Friday.
