Baseball Eliminates Michigan 5-4

VANDERBILT EDGES PAST MICHIGAN 5-4

ATLANTA, Ga. ­­— Vanderbilt scored two runs in the seventh to rally from a 3-2 deficit and held on to defeat Michigan 5-4 in an elimination game at the NCAA Atlanta Regional Sunday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium.

Vanderbilt (38-26) stayed alive in the tourney and will take on Georgia Tech in the championship round later this evening. If they were to win that contest, the Commodores would face Georgia Tech again tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. ET, with the winner advancing to the Super Regionals.

Alex Feinberg opened the seventh with a double into the left-center gap and then advanced to third on a wild pitch by Chris Fetter. Catcher Jeff Kunkel tried to retrieve the pitch and slid into the dugout (dead territory) allowing Feinberg to score and tie the game. David Macias doubled down the right field line and he was followed by Pedro Alvarez who was intentionally walked by reliever Ali Husain. Husain’s final pitch of the sequence got away from Kunkel allowing Macias to move to third. Ryan Flaherty then was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Brian Hernandez’ sacrifice fly to center then scored Macias to give the Commodores a 4-3 lead.

Ryan Davis’ solo homer in the eighth extended the lead to 5-3 and proved to be the difference in the game.

Michigan rallied in the bottom of the inning as Derek VanBuskirk and A.J. Scheidt had back-to-back singles with one out in the inning. Mike Schmidt then hit a grounder to third that Pedro Alvarez threw to second for a force out. Alex Feinberg attempted to get Schmidt out at first for a double play, but threw the ball low and away, allowing VanBuskirk to score from third. Reliever Casey Weathers got out of the inning, striking out Eric Rose looking.

Weathers then finished the game out in the ninth to pick up his third save of the year.

Reliever Nick Christiani threw 1.2 innings of two-hit scoreless relief for the Commodores to pick up the win and improve to 3-4 on the year.

The Commodores took a 2-0 lead in the first when Brad French, who led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, scored on a wild pitch by Wolverine starter Chris Fetter. Pedro Alvarez then belted the next pitch over the right field wall for his second homer of the tourney and 21st of the season.

Ty Davis pitched five shutout innings before getting into trouble in the sixth. Nate Recknagel led off with a solo homer to left and Doug Pickens capped the inning with a two-run shot to right center to give the Wolverines a 3-2 lead. Davis’ final line was 5.1 innings pitched, seven hits, six strikeouts and no walks in the no-decision.

Vanderbilt 002 000 210 -5 14 1
Michigan 000 003 010 -4 12 0

Ty Davis, Christiani (6), Weathers (9) and Hernandez. Fetter, Husain (7), Abraham (7), Jenzen (8) and Kunkel. W- Christiani (3-4), L- Fetter (5-2). Sv- Weathers (3). HR- MICH: Recknagel (8). VU: Alvarez (21), Ryan Davis (4).

Game Notes: Alvarez extended his single season homer record to 21, two better than the previous high of 19 set by three different Commodores … Reliever Nick Christiani made his first career NCAA appearance in the sixth inning … Reliever Casey Weathers made his first career NCAA appearance in the eighth inning … Ryan Davis has doubled his season homer total with two homers in the tourney.