COLUMBIA, Mo. — Vanderbilt and Missouri split the first two games of the series on Saturday after Friday’s suspended game was resumed before Game 2.
Both contests went to extra innings as the Tigers won 8-7 in 10 innings in Game 1 before the Commodores rebounded with an 11-8 win in 11 innings in Game 2.
Game 1
The opening game of the series saw Missouri rally from a five-run deficit to take a lead in the eighth inning before Vanderbilt answered back to tie it in the ninth as heavy fog rolled in, forcing the game to be suspended until Saturday afternoon.
Connor Fennell was electric on the mound, striking out eight batters over seven frames while holding Missouri to five hits and one run.
The Commodores opened the scoring in the top of the second on a groundout by Rustan Rigdon. Rigdon picked up another RBI in the top of the fourth, plating Logan Johnstone from second with a single to right.
Rigdon stole second and scored on a single up the middle by Will Hampton as the Dores opened a 3-0 lead.
With two outs in the top of the fifth, Braden Holcomb blasted his 14th home run of the season. The 101st homer for the Commodores set a new program record.
Missouri got on the board with a run in the bottom of the sixth, cutting Vandy’s lead to 4-1.
Korbin Reynolds made it 102 long balls with a solo shot in the top of the seventh as the Dores went ahead 5-1. The inning continued as Mike Mancini singled with one out. Mancini stole second and third before scoring on a single by Holcomb.
The Tigers roared back in the bottom of the eighth with six runs on five hits and an error to jump in front, 7-6.
Visibility at Taylor Stadium decreased into the late innings as a dense fog settled on the field. The ninth inning started after a meeting between the umpires and both head coaches.
Korbin Reynolds led off the top of the ninth with a single and Cade Sears replaced Reynolds at first base. A sac bunt moved Sears up to second and Brodie Johnston worked a two-out walk to bring Holcomb to the dish.
Holcomb ripped a line drive to right-center that disappeared into the fog. All three runners came in to score as nobody seemed to know where Holcomb’s ball ended up.
In a statement released by the SEC, the league stated that “the umpires ruled that the play was a ground-rule double, scoring the runner from second base. After video review, the call on the field was upheld as no video evidence was available to overturn the call due to low visibility.”
The result of the play put runners on second and third with Sears coming home to score the tying run.
The game was then suspended until Saturday. When play resumed, Missouri stranded the go-ahead runs on base to keep the game even at 7-7. The Tigers got the winning run to third base in the bottom of the ninth before Tyler Baird struck out back-to-back hitters to send the game into extra innings.
Missouri’s Donovan Jordan knocked a one-out single in the bottom of the 10th to bring home the winning run as the Tigers took the opener 8-7.
Game 2
Vanderbilt grabbed an early lead in the second game with Ryker Waite scoring on a passed ball and Mike Mancini coming home on a sac fly.
Tommy Goodin led off the top of the second with a home run, hits 12th of the season to give Vanderbilt a three-run advantage.
Missouri then scored eight unanswered over the next three innings to lead 8-3 after the fourth.
The Commodores began chipping away at the deficit in the sixth. Logan Johnstone reached double-digit homers on the year with a no-doubter to straight-away center to start off the sixth inning. Goodin and Rustan Rigdon singled and moved up on a sac bunt.
After a pitching change, Goodin touched home on a groundout and Rigdon came in on a single by Waite as the Dores cut the deficit down to 8-6.
More weather rolled in and the game was delayed for just over an hour. After the break, Alex Kranzler, who entered in relief in the bottom of the fifth, continued to cruise over the next three innings. He tossed 4.2 scoreless frames and allowed just one hit while totaling seven strikeouts.
The Dores continued to chip away in the seventh with Johnstone driving in Brodie Johnston with a groundout, making it a one-run game.
Rigdon delivered the game-tying hit in the top of the eighth, a solo shot to center to make it 8-8.
Once again Vanderbilt and Missouri went to extras with neither team breaking through in the ninth or 10th innings.
In the 11th, Waite blasted the go-ahead home run to deep right. The inning continued with Vandy loading the bases before Johnstone put the Dores up by three with a two-run single.
Wyatt Nadeau returned to the mound for the bottom of the 11th after replacing Kranzler in the ninth. Nadeau got a strikeout, pop up and another strikeout to slam the door as Vandy evened the series with an 11-8 win.
Johnstone finished the game 3-for-5 with four RBI. Waite went 3-for-6 with two RBI and scored twice.
Vanderbilt and Missouri will meet Sunday at 1 p.m. to decide the series.
