ATHENS, Ga. — Junior Dominic de la Osa’s three-run double with the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the ninth broke a 5-5 tie and led Vanderbilt to a 8-5 win over Georgia Friday night at Foley Field.
The Commodores started the rally with one out in the ninth when Ryan Davis walked. The Bulldogs went to closer Josh Fields who got Shea Robin to ground to second which also allowed Davis to move up a base as he was running on the play. David Macias then grounded to short but shortstop Gordon Beckham booted the ball to extend the inning for VU. Alex Feinberg then walked on four pitches to load the bases.
The hot-hitting de la Osa, the reigning SEC Hitter of the Week, then crushed a 1-2 pitch from Fields and hit it off the top of the wall in left-center according to the umpires allowing all three runs to score.
VU won its eighth straight game to improve to 40-8 overall and 16-6 in SEC play. The 40 wins are the most ever for a Commodore baseball team in the regular season and the 16 wins in conference play ties the school record set in 2004 and 2006.
Casey Weathers (9-2) came on in the eighth and pitched two scoreless innings to pick up the win. He struck out three and walked a career high four batters and now leads the team in wins.
De la Osa finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and five RBI. Both of his doubles hit the top of the wall and just missed being home runs. He is 14-for-21 (.667) with seven doubles, one triple, three homers and 14 RBI over the last five games.
“I have been patient at the plate and have tried to look for good pitches to hit,” said de la Osa on his recent offensive surge. “I have just been taking good swings, not thinking too much and having fun.”
Georgia fell to 18-29 overall and 7-15 in league action. The Bulldogs out hit the Commodores 13-10, but left 14 guys on base compared to five for VU.
The Commodores took a 1-0 lead in the first when Alex Feinberg doubled and scored on a RBI triple by Dominic de la Osa.
De la Osa added a sacrifice fly RBI in the third to make it 2-0. Shea Robin led off the inning with a single and moved to second on an infield single by David Macias. Both runners then advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt by Feinberg to set up de la Osa’s sacrifice fly.
The Bulldogs came back to tie the game in the third on a two-run single by Gordon Beckham. Travis Parrott and Mike Freeman started things with one-out singles through the left side. Ryan Peisel grounded to third baseman Pedro Alvarez who tagged Parrott for the second out in the inning. Jonathan Wyatt then grounded to Alvarez who misplayed the ball allowing everyone to be safe. Beckham then came through with the single up the middle to plate two unearned runs.
UGA had four singles in the fourth including a RBI single by Parrott and a two-run single by Wyatt to give the team a 5-2 lead.
The Commodores rallied back to tie the game in the sixth inning on a RBI single by Pedro Alvarez and a two-run pinch-hit homer by Matt Meingasner. Dominic de la Osa led off with a double down the leftfield line and then scored on Alvarez’s single up the middle. Ryan Flaherty hit a grounder to first baseman to Rich Poythress who threw to second to eliminate Alvarez. Meingasner then pinch hit for Jonathan White and hit the first pitch offering of Stephen Dodson over the leftfield wall to tie the game. It was his fourth homer of the year and first in 23 games.
Georgia threatened in the bottom of the sixth after loading the bases with one out and the cleanup hitter Poythress at the plate. Price got out of the jam by striking him out looking and then getting Matt Olson to line out to left for the third out.
Dodson gave up five runs on eight hits in seven innings of work in the no decision for Georgia.
David Price gave up a career high 12 hits, all singles, in seven innings of work with eight strikeouts and two walks in the no-decision.
The Commodores and Bulldogs will play the second game of the three game set Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. CT. Freshman lefthander Mike Minor (7-0. 2.41 ERA) will take the hill for VU, while UGA will send sophomore southpaw Nathan Moreau (3-2, 5.37 ERA).
Vanderbilt 101 003 003 – 8 10 1
Georgia 002 300 000 – 5 13 1
Price, Weathers (8) and Robin. Dodson, Earls (8), Fields (9) and Lewis. W- Weathers 9-2, L- Earls 2-3. Sv-None. HR- VU: Meingasner (4)
