Athens, Ga. — Vanderbilt split a doubleheader at Georgia on Saturday bouncing back from 1-0 defeat in the first game to claim the series with a 10-5 victory at Foley Field in the nightcap.
After failing to score in the first game the Commodores (25-16, 9-9) fell behind in the first inning before rallying for the team’s first three runs of the day in the second inning. Back-to-back singles from Reed Hayes and Ethan Paul opened the frame with Jason Delay’s first of three hits in the game scoring Hayes to tie the game. Connor Kaiser came up big with a two-run single through the box to put VU in the lead.
The Bulldogs (16-25, 5-13), however, battled back to pull even in the bottom of the third against Vandy starter Chandler Day. Georgia tallied single runs in each of the first three innings against Day, who was making his first career Southeastern Conference start. The Dores’ bats picked up Day in the fourth with three more runs and never looked back. A bases loaded walk to Jeren Kendall gave the Commodores back the lead and a two-run single from Julian Infante extended the lead.
Day answered with his first scoreless inning of the game in the fourth and used a caught stealing from Delay to end the fifth. Drake Fellows took the Commodores the rest of the way, working 3.2 innings to notch his first career save. Day earned his sixth win of the season allowing three runs on six hits over 5.1 innings.
Infante and Delay led the way with three hits apiece with Infante driving in three runs. Paul added his fourth home run of the year in the seventh.
Ryan Avidano took the loss for the Bulldogs giving up three runs on two hits over 1.2 innings.
In the first game of the day the Commodores’ offense struggled all day in a 1-0 defeat. The team wasted multiple opportunities, including in the sixth inning when Kaiser led off with a single and found himself on third base and Paul on first with one out. But the inning came crashing down when Infante’s line drive was snagged by Georgia shortstop Cam Shepherd, who flipped to first to double off Paul. Shepherd then played the hero in the eighth inning when he greeted reliever Matt Ruppenthal with a solo homer to left-center field to score the only run of the game.
Ruppenthal took the loss, allowing one run on two hits in one inning. The loss wasted a solid effort from Kyle Wright. The junior struck out eight and gave up just one single over seven innings.
Chase Adkins earned the win for Georgia with eight scoreless innings. Kevin Smith notched his first career save with a clean ninth inning. The teams combined for just five hits in the game.
Vanderbilt returns home next weekend to host Tennessee beginning Friday night at Hawkins Field.
