ARLINGTON, Texas — Vanderbilt baseball got on the board in a wild and unusual way in its final game of the College Baseball Showdown against Texas on Sunday.
Vanderbilt scored eight runs in the second inning and took advantage of four fielding errors by the Longhorns that resulted in all eight runs being unearned. But the Commodores (1-1) also hit two triples and a grand slam as 12 batters came to the plate. Calvin Hewett also stole three bases in the inning.
The inning began with Hewett reaching on an error by the second baseman and then stealing second. After Parker Noland popped out, Davis Diaz was hit by a pitch, Hewett stole third, then Jonathan Vastine and TJ McKenzie reached on back-to-back errors, both on grounders hit 107 mph off the bat.
Alan Espinal, a backup catcher, then blasted a grand slam over the right field wall. After an Enrique Bradfield Jr. strikeout, RJ Austin singled and scored after an RJ Schreck triple then Hewett reached on an error for the second time in the inning and stole second base. Hewitt scored on another triple by Parker Noland.
The final tally in the inning for Vanderbilt was eight runs (all unearned for Texas), four hits and four errors, with three triples, three steals and a grand slam.
The Commodores lead, 8-1, in the fifth inning.
VANDY WHISTLERVandy whistler Jeff Pack, facing son’s ALS diagnosis, deals with hoax reports of his own death
GAME 2How Vanderbilt baseball avoided collapse vs. Oklahoma State at College Baseball Showdown