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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Jonathan White’s RBI single in the bottom of the 10th lifted Vanderbilt to a 3-2 win over Ole Miss in both teams SEC opener in front of 2,561 fans Friday night at Hawkins Field.
The Commodores (20-0, 1-0 SEC) rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Shea Robin singled with one out off of Ole Miss starter Will Kline to start things off and advanced to second on a single by Andrew Giobbi. Matt Meingasner then hit a soft liner to right that dropped for a single and Robin came into score, avoiding the tag from catcher Brett Basham in the process, to tie the game.
Pedro Alvarez had a one out double in the 10th and after a Ryan Flaherty line out and a Robin walk, White came up and delivered the game winning hit into right to score Alvarez.
“I felt like at some point, as tough as it was to score off of Kline (Will), that we were going to tie the game and eventually win it,” said head coach Tim Corbin. “Tonight’s game is why you come to play college baseball. It’s all about the enthusiasm, the close games and the near misses and it was a good game to watch.”
David Price (5-0) pitched his third straight complete game of the season, this one a 10-inning performance. He allowed two runs on four hits with 14 strikeouts and two walks in his fifth straight game with double digit strikeouts.
“I just told Coach (Corbin), I wanted to go out in the 10th and finish the game,” said David Price. “I want to tip my hat to Will Kline and Ole Miss, they played a great game and deserved to win as well. This game was a battle. We just keep pitching, playing good defense and getting hits when we need it, that’s a sign of a good team.”
Price held Ole Miss hitless until the fifth when Logan Power roped a two-out double to right-center. Zach Miller followed with a double of his own to right-center as well to give Mississippi a 1-0 lead.
Ole Miss plated another run in the sixth to make it 2-0. Jordan Henry walked to lead of the inning and Justin Henry reached base when he was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced on a balk by Price and Jordan Henry then scored on a sacrifice fly by Zack Cozart to push the lead to 2-0. Justin Henry stole third and after another hit batter he tried to steal home but was thrown out at the plate by Price to end the inning.
Vanderbilt got on the board in the sixth when Dominic de la Osa blasted a solo homer to left, his fifth of the year, to cut the lead to 2-1.
Shea Robin led the Commodores with two hits, while four different players led Ole Miss with a hit each.
Reliever Scott Bittle (1-2), who came on in relief in ninth, failed in his attempt to record his SEC best seventh save of the year and took the loss. He gave up one run on four hits in 1.1 innings of work.
Ole Miss starter Will Kline matched Price for eight innings before getting lifted in the ninth. He gave up two runs on four hits in 8.1 innings with six strikeouts and three walks in the no-decision.
The Commodores and Ole Miss will play the second game of the three game set Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. It will be a battle of sophomore right-handers on the mound as Nick Christiani (4-0, 2.05 ERA) will take the hill for VU, while Lance Lynn (1-2, 2.67 ERA) will start for the visitors.
Ole Miss 000 011 000 0 -2 4 0
Vanderbilt 000 001 001 1 -3 8 1
Kline, Bittle (9) and Basham. Price and Robin. W-Price 5-0, L- Bittle (1-2). Sv- None . HR- VU: de la Osa (5)
