NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Everything clicked for No. 25 Vanderbilt in Saturday’s 11-0 win over Georgia to clinch the series at Hawkins Field.
Vanderbilt (32-12, 10-10) starter Carson Fulmer was dominant in just his second career start turning in a career-high seven scoreless innings with eight strikeouts to earn the win. The right-hander did not face more than four batters in any of his seven frames allowing only two hits and walking three. Fulmer used the strikeout when he needed it ending the second, third and fourth with punch outs before striking out the side in the fifth. The sophomore ended his outing with his career-best eighth strikeout of the afternoon. Fulmer has not allowed a run in 13 innings in his first two career starts.
With Fulmer in control on the mound the Commodores’ offense scratched out a run in the third inning to claim the lead and never looked back. John Norwood worked a leadoff walk and stole second before scoring on Jason Delay’s single up the middle for the first run of the game.
Vandy piled on in the sixth inning, scoring four runs on two hits to put the game away. Norwood found a hole in the right side of the Georgia (21-21-1, 7-12-1) defense to drive in the first two runs of the inning with a single. Dansby Swanson capped the rally with a two-run single through the left side of the Georgia defense. Swanson drove in his career-best third run of the game with another RBI-single through the left side of the defense in the eighth before Xavier Turner smashed his second home run of the season with a three-run shot into the left field bleachers to make it 11-0 Vanderbilt. Turner’s three-run homer is the first three-run homer for the Dores this season.
Swanson led the way for the Commodores with two hits and three RBI with Reynolds, Norwood and Delay all chipping in two hits in the win. Paired with the Dores’ 12-9 win in the series opener, Saturday’s game marks the first time this season Vanderbilt has scored 10-plus runs in consecutive games.
The shutout victory is the Commodores’ sixth of the season, the most for the team since the 2011 squad recorded seven shutouts.
The Commodores and Bulldogs wrap up the series tomorrow at 1 p.m. with the home team sending right-hander Tyler Ferguson to the hill and Georgia yet to name a starter.
