May 3, 2008
Team Records and Series Notes:
– Vanderbilt improves to 33-13 and 13-9 in Southeastern Conference play, while Tennessee drops to 25-22 and 11-12 in league play.
– Tennessee now leads the overall series 162-137-2, including a 54-25 advantage in games played in Knoxville. However, the Commodores have enjoyed recent success, winning seven of the last 10 games between the two schools.
– Vanderbilt excelled with runners in scoring position. The Commodores were 7-of-15 (.467 average) in the game with runners in scoring position for eight RBI.
– Vanderbilt’s win today ensures a series victory over the Volunteers. The series win is the first for Vanderbilt in Knoxville since 2004 and the first series loss of the season at home for Tennessee.
– The Commodores will be looking for their first series sweep in Knoxville since the SEC went to three-game sets in 1986.
– Vanderbilt and Tennessee close its three-game weekend series tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. (CT) and the game can be heard live on the Vanderbilt/ISP Sports Network with Joe Fisher. Nick Christiani (5-2, 3.64 ERA) will get the call for Vanderbilt, while Tennessee will counter with Ty’Relle Harris (2-1, 3.93 ERA).
Vanderbilt Individual Notes:
– Freshman starter Caleb Cotham picked up his team-high seventh win of the season. The Mt. Juliet, Tenn., native allowed two runs on just six hits while striking out six Tennessee batters.
– The Commodores jumped out to an early advantage for the second straight game. Senor catcher Shea Robin drove in two runs in the first inning with a double into the left center field alley. Robin finished the game 2-for-5, his 15th multi-hit game of the season.
– Senior second baseman Alex Feinberg belted his second home run of the season in the third inning to put Vanderbilt up 6-0. Feinberg finished the game with two RBI.
– Senior right fielder Dominic de la Osa had a perfect day at the plate, going 3-for-3, driving in two runs and scoring twice. De la Osa now has 282 hits in his Vanderbilt career, which ties him for second all-time with Boomer Whipple (1992-95). De la Osa needs just two more hits to pass Karl Nonemaker (1999-2002) for the most hits in Vanderbilt history.
– Junior shortstop Ryan Flaherty tallied two hits for the `Dores with one RBI and one run scored. Flaherty now has 241 hits in his Vanderbilt career, which ranks him ninth all-time.
– Sophomore first baseman Andrew Giobbi recorded his 12th multi-hit performance of the season, going 2-for-4 and driving in two runs.
– Senior first baseman Brad French added a hit and scored a run. The hit for French was his first since the first game of the Mississippi State series on April 11.
– Sophomore reliever Drew Hayes closed out the game with two innings of no-hit baseball. Hayes struck out two and retired all six batters he faced.
