March 16, 2008
Nashville, Tenn. – Vanderbilt scored four runs in the fourth inning and added four more in the seventh on a grand slam home run by Andrew Giobbi as the Commodores defeated South Carolina 10-4 on Sunday afternoon to win the rubber game of a SEC baseball series. Vanderbilt is 12-4 and 2-1 in the SEC while the loss drops the Gamecocks to 11-5 and 1-2 in the conference. Carolina returns to action on Tuesday evening with a non-conference tilt at College of Charleston scheduled for 7 pm. Live audio broadcast is available at gamecocksonline.com and on 107.5 FM in Columbia.
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Caleb Cotham worked 5.2 innings and allowed just two runs on five hits with nine strikeouts and two walks to pick up the win. He is 3-0 this season. Carolina starting pitcher Blake Cooper suffered the loss and is 2-2 on the year. Cooper went six innings and allowed six runs, five earned, on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk.
Both teams exchanged runs in the first inning taking advantage of a pair of wild pitches from the starters to scratch across a run. Whit Merrifield was hit by a pitch and advanced to third base on a two-out single from Kyle Enders. With James Darnell at the plate, Cotham threw wide of catcher Shea Robin allowing Merrifield to score and give the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead. That lead would be short-lived though for Carolina as Vanderbilt came back with one in the bottom half. Vanderbilt loaded the bases with one out on a hit by pitch to Alex Feinberg, a double from Ryan Flaherty and a two-out walk to Andrew Giobbi. With a 2-1 count, Copper threw past catcher Kyle Enders allowing Feinberg to score and tie the game.
Vanderbilt would take advantage of a couple of Gamecock miscues to build a 5-1 lead in the fourth inning. Dominic de la Osa was hit by a pitch from Cooper to put the leadoff batter on base followed by a bloop single to right field from Giobbi to give Vanderbilt a pair of runners with no outs. Steven Liddle would then lay down a sacrifice bunt. On the play, third baseman James Darnell threw high of first base to allow de la Osa to score and give the Commodores the lead. Shea Robin would add a RBI single followed by a two-run single from Brian Harris that gave Vanderbilt a four-run cushion.
South Carolina got a run back in the top of the sixth inning. James Darnell tallied his second hit of the game with a base hit, advanced to second base and would get to third base on a throwing error from Shea Robin. He would then score on Andrew Crisp’s RBI single.
The four-run lead for Vanderbilt would increase to eight in the bottom half of the seventh as Giobbi hit his first home run of the season for a grand slam. David Macias got things started against Gamecock reliever Sean Wideberg with a hit by pitch. After a sacrifice bunt, an intentional walk to Ryan Flaherty and another hit by pitch against Dominic de la Osa, the bases were full and things were set up for Giobbi. With the count full at 3-2, Giobbi delivered the big blow with a home run over the giant wall in left field to give Vanderbilt a commanding 10-2 advantage.
Carolina would score the final two runs of the game in the ninth inning against reliever Brett Jacobson. Reese Havens walked for a third time and Justin Smoak would follow with a two-run homer to right center for his fourth of the year. Smoak’s home run is also his 43rd of his career and ties him for fifth on the USC All-Time list with Chris Boyle (1981-84). The record is 48 set by Hank Small (1972-75). Carolina has homered in 15 of 16 games this season.
Vanderbilt had a 9-8 advantage in hits with Flaherty and Giobbi tallying two apiece. James Darnell had his second consecutive three-hit game to lead Carolina while Smoak tallied two as well. Vanderbilt was hit by a pitch four times in the game, with all four batters scoring runs following the hit by pitch. South Carolina made four errors on the afternoon tying a season-high that was set in a loss on Feb. 23 vs. East Carolina.
