Vandy Drops First Game of Tourney to UGA

GEORGIA USES NINTH INNING RALLY TO DEFEAT VANDERBILT 5-4
Bulldogs score four runs in the ninth to force a second game at 5 p.m.

HOOVER, Ala. ­­— Matthew Dunn’s two-run double capped off a four-run rally in the bottom of the ninth to lift Georgia to a 5-4 win over Vanderbilt Saturday afternoon at the SEC Tournament at the Hoover-Met.

The Bulldogs forced a second game to be played at 5 p.m., with the winner of that contest advancing into the tournament final tomorrow afternoon.

The Commodores got solid outings by Ty Davis and Stephen Shao as they combined to limit the hot-hitting Bulldog attack to just three hits through eight innings of action.

Casey Weathers opened the ninth by striking out Josh Morris. UGA used back to back walks to Bobby Felmy and Jason Jacobs and a single by pinch hitter Matt Robbins to load the bases. Nick Christiani (2-4) came on for VU and gave up a two-run single to Ryan Peisel and then Dunn’s two-run double to right to end the game.

Davis pitched a season-high 6.1 innings in the start and gave up one run on two hits with four walks and a career-best seven strikeouts. Reliever Stephen Shao came on in the seventh and got out of a one-out bases loaded jam by inducing Matthew Dunn to hit into a pitcher-to-catcher-to-first double play.

Vanderbilt led 1-0 in the seventh when Brad French led off with an infield bunt single and then moved to second when David Macias was hit by a pitch. Pedro Alvarez and Ryan Flaherty had back-to-back RBI singles to make it 3-0. Dominic de la Osa added a sacrifice fly RBI to cap off the three-run inning.

Vanderbilt took a 1-0 lead in the third when Brad French led off the inning with a single and scored on a double to left-center by Ryan Flaherty.

Flaherty led the Dores with three hits and two RBI, while Ryan Peisel led the Bulldogs with a 4-for-4 afternoon.

Joshua Fields (3-2) pitched an inning of scoreless relief to pick up the win.

Vanderbilt 001 000 300 -4 9 0
Georgia 000 000 104 -5 6 1

Ty Davis, Shao (7), Weathers (9), Christiani (9) and Hernandez. Leaver, Dodson (7), Fields (9) and Jacobs. W- Fields 3-2, L- Christiani 2-4. Sv- None. HR- None .

Game Notes: The loss was the first to Georgia in five tries (4-1) at the SEC tournament … Going into the ninth inning, VU had given up just three earned runs in 26 innings in the tourney … Brian Hernandez’ 10-game hitting streak ended with an 0-for-5 showing.