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Gators hold off, eliminate Commodores
Vanderbilt
finishes season 54-12
Omaha, Neb. – Vanderbilt fell 6-4 to Florida
Friday afternoon at TD Ameritrade Park in the College World Series to
end the Commodores’ season.
Vandy took an early lead in the first inning when Aaron Westlake hit
his team-best 18th home run of the year with a solo shot into the right
field bullpen. Florida battled back to tie the game in the 3rd inning
when Cody Dent led off the inning with a triple and scored on Preston
Tucker’s groundout to first base. A bases loaded, two-out walk to
Dent extended the fourth inning for Nolan Fontana, who singled through
the middle to drive in two runs and give the Gators their first lead of
the day. Florida added to the lead in the sixth when Daniel Pigott
doubled to start the inning and scored on a double play.
Vanderbilt fought back in the seventh for two runs. Connor Harrell
drove in Mike Yastrzemski with a single and Tony Kemp’s bases
loaded walk scored the second run to cut the lead to one. The Dores
tied the game in the top of the eighth when Conrad Gregor was hit by a
pitch with the bases loaded. However, the Gators worked out of the jam
to keep the score even before scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of
the eighth to reclaim the lead. Each of the first three batters reached
base to begin the inning chasing starter Sonny Gray from the game. With
one out Preston Tucker lined a single over Kemp in left field to score
a run and a wild pitch on a strikeout scored the second run one batter
later.
Florida closer Austin Maddox worked around a ninth inning Aaron
Westlake double to finish the game and earn the win. Maddox worked 1.2
innings to pick up his third win of the year. Gray was saddled with the
loss grinding through seven-plus innings. The right-hander allowed a
season-high six runs on a career-high 12 hits and five walks with eight
strikeouts. Florida starter Alex Panteliodis allowed one run on three
hits over six innings.
Westlake, Yastrzemski and Casali all had two hits to lead Vandy while
all nine Florida starters registered at least one hit.
The Commodores finish the season 54-12 matching the school record for
wins in a season and setting the school record for fewest losses in a
season. The team went 2-2 in the school’s first-ever College
World Series with two wins over North Carolina and two losses to
Florida.
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