April 18, 2008
Photo Gallery by Neil Brake & Steve Green
NASHVILLE —The Vanderbilt-Auburn baseball game was suspended due to rain in the middle of the seventh with the Tigers leading 5-3.
The game was halted at 8:28 p.m. because of the rain that was constant throughout the night, but got more intense causing the delay.
The game will be completed following tomorrow’s regularly scheduled contest at Noon. That Noon game will be televised on CSS, but not the completion of Game 1.
The Commodores just took the lead at 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth before Auburn struck for three runs in the top of the seventh to take a 5-3 lead.
David Cunningham doubled off of Mike Minor with one out in the seventh for just the third Tiger hit in the game. Kevin Patterson was hit by a pitch and Ryan Jenkings then flied out to right for the second out, allowing Cunningham to move to third. Patterson stole second and then both runners scored on Matt Hall’s single up the middle on a 3-2 count.
Minor at one point struck out seven straight batters and finished with nine on the night. He walked two and allowed five runs on five hits in seven innings of work.
Shea Robin and Andrew Giobbi both led VU with 3-for-3 days at the plate, with David Macias adding two hits for his sixth straight multi-hit game.
Kevin Patterson’s two-run homer in the second staked the Tigers to a 2-0 lead. David Cunningham walked with one out before Patterson lined a homer to right-center, his fourth of the year, off of Minor.
Shea Robin’s RBI triple in the bottom of the second cut the lead to 2-1. Andrew Giobbi singled with one out and after a pop-out Robin tripled to left-center, his second of the year.
Pedro Alvarez’ RBI groundout with the bases loaded in the fifth tied the game at 2-2. Robin, Parker Hanks and David Macias all singled to start the inning and after a pop-out, Alvarez grounded to short to bring in Robin.
VU took the lead for the first time in the sixth when Robin singled in Giobbi again with two outs in the inning. Giobbi had doubled his third hit of the night and then scored on Robin’s hit.
The Commodores will send Caleb Cotham (5-2, 3.22 ERA) to the mound in the Noon contest, while the Tigers will counter with southpaw Cory Luckie (4-3, 3.54 ERA).
Auburn 020 000 3 – 5 5 0
Vanderbilt 010 011 0 – 3 9 1
Dayton, Hurst (7) and Jenkins. Minor and Robin. W-, L-. Sv- None. HR: AUB: Patterson (4) VU: None