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UPCOMING HOME GAMES AT HAWKINS FIELD
Wednesday, March 12 vs. Western Carolina at 4 p.m. CT
Friday, March 14 vs. South Carolina at 6 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 15 vs. South Carolina at 2 p.m. CT
Sunday, March 16 vs. South Carolina at 1 p.m. CT
Audio: Postgame Interview with Coach Corbin
View Box Score | 2008 Season Stats
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt rode the strong pitching of Caleb Cotham, Steven Schwartz and Russell Brewer to a 5-3 win over Western Carolina in baseball action Tuesday afternoon at Hawkins Field.
Cotham pitched four innings of one-hit ball to move to 2-0 on the year. He gave up an unearned run while striking out four and walking two in the regulated start.
“I thought we had good pitching today,” said Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin. “Caleb gave us some good innings, Schwartz was pretty effective and Brewer was pretty good.”
Schwartz came on in relief and gave up two runs on three hits in two innings of work with a walk and a strikeout.
Brewer threw three scoreless innings to pick up his first career save. He struck out five and allowed two hits while not walking a batter.
“Those guys pop the strike zone and it keeps the umpires in the game and keeps the defense sharp,” added Corbin when talking about the relief staff. “They are not fearful when guys are in scoring positions and get the job done.”
David Macias led off the first with a double and scored on Andrew Giobbi’s RBI single to take a 1-0 lead. Macias scored again in the second on a RBI single by Alex Feinberg to make it 2-0.
Dominic de la Osa’s solo homer in the third pushed the lead to 3-0.
Western Carolina got on the board in the fourth when J.C. Lyons doubled, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a RBI groundout.
Shea Robin got the run back in the sixth with a solo homer to left, his first of the year, to make it 4-1.
Barrett Shaft’s two-run single in the seventh cut the deficit to 4-3. Ryan Matthews hit an infield single and Tyler Kirkpatrick walked to lead off the inning. Brewer came on in relief of Schwartz and struck out Jason Haynes for the first out. WCU then pulled off a double steal to put runners at second and third. Nick Liles then popped up to short for the second out. Brewer nearly got out of the inning unscathed as he had two strikes on Shaft before the single up the middle.
Giobbi had a RBI single in the seventh to make it 5-3. He was the lone Commodore with two hits on the night and finished with two RBI.
The Catamounts threatened in their last at bat and put the tying runs on base with two outs when Brewer struck out Barrett Shaft to secure the victory for the Commodores.
Vanderbilt and Western Carolina will play game two of the series Wednesday at 4 p.m. CT. The Commodores will then open SEC play against South Carolina this weekend at Hawkins Field.
Western Carolina 000 100 200 – 3 6 0
Vanderbilt 111 001 10x – 5 9 1
Saberhagen, Tavernier (6) and Murphy. Cotham, Schwartz, Brewer (7) and Robin. W- Cotham 1-0, L- Saberhagen 0-2. Sv- Brewer (1). HR: VU: de la Osa (2), Robin (1)
