May 31, 2009
Vanderbilt Postgame Notes
* Vanderbilt moves its record to 15-15 all-time at the NCAA Tournament, including 12-9 under seventh-year head coach Tim Corbin. The Commodores lead the all-time series against Louisville 14-2. Earlier this season, Vanderbilt defeated host Louisville 4-3 in 10 innings on April 22.
* With the 8-4 win over Louisville, Vanderbilt has staved of elimination in the loser’s bracket to force a second championship game in two of its last three NCAA Regional appearances. The Commodores lost 4-3 in their first meeting with Michigan in the 2007 Nashville Regional, before climbing back to force a deciding championship game with the Wolverines. However, Michigan would advance to the Super Regional with another 4-3 win over the Commodores.
* Vanderbilt starters have pitched 31 of the 35 innings thrown by the Commodore staff at the Louisville Regional.
* Commodore starter Nick Christiani (6-6) pitched six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits to go along with four strikeouts and two walks. The outing was the senior’s longest since tossing seven innings in a start against Belmont [game 2 (5/5)]. The victory marked Christiani’s 20th career win, tying him for 10th on Vanderbilt’s all-time list with Mike McLochlin (1988-1990).
* Christiani retired 10 consecutive Cardinal hitters between the second and fifth innings before Louisville’s Drew Haynes singled in the fifth. He pitched out of a bases-loaded no-out jam in the sixth inning, surrendering only two runs thanks in part to a key double-play started by Commodore second baseman Riley Reynolds.
* Right-hander Drew Hayes relieved Christiani and allowed a run on a hit with two walks and a strikeout in an inning and a third.
* Right-hander Chase Reid came on in relief of Hayes with runners on first and third with one out in the eighth. Reid promptly struck out back-to-back Cardinals to end the threat. Reid then retired the Cardinals in order in the ninth, finishing with four stikeouts in an inning and two thirds.
* Five Commodores posted two hits against the Cardinals while three accounted for a pair of RBI.
* Brian Harris hit a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning, giving Vanderbilt a 6-1 advantage. It marked Harris’ second homer of the Louisville Regional [solo home run against Indiana (5/30)]. The long ball was the first extra-base hit for the Commodores, who had built a 5-1 lead thanks in part to eight singles.
* Vanderbilt compiled four singles and took advantage of two Cardinal errors in a four-run second inning, giving the Commodores a 5-1 advantage. Riley Reynolds, Brian Harris and Curt Casali each posted RBI singles while Andrew Giobbi’s sacrifice fly to center plated Harris.
* Steven Liddle knocked a two-run double to left in the sixth inning to give the Commodores a 8-1, marking his 11th multi-RBI game of the season. Liddle leads all Commodores with six RBI at the Louisville Regional.
* Riley Reynolds recorded a pair of singles in four at bats to improve his batting average to a team-best .462 (6-for-13) at the Louisville Regional.
* Jonathan White went 0-for-4 against Louisville to halt his 11-game hitting streak.
* Louisville designated hitter Phil Wunderlich’s RBI single to right in the first inning ended Vanderbilt’s string of 19 consecutive scoreless innings pitched at the Louisville Regional. The Commodores had posted consecutive shutouts against Indiana (11-0 in May 30) and Middle Tennessee (6-0 earlier Sunday). The streak started in the ninth inning of Vanderbilt’s 5-4 loss to Middle Tennessee on Friday.