Vanderbilt Commodores

Three Takeaways from Vanderbilt’s Walk-Off Win

The Commodores showed positive signs at the plate, on the mound and in the field in a 5-4 win against Western Kentucky.

Taylor Hodges

Vanderbilt centerfielder RJ Austin high fives his teammates as the Commodores prepared to face Texas A&M on Friday.
Vanderbilt centerfielder RJ Austin high fives his teammates as the Commodores prepared to face Texas A&M on Friday. / Vanderbilt Athletics

It’s not quite time to hit the panic button, but No. 23 Vanderbilt’s baseball team didn’t do much to help ease concerns about its offense Tuesday night.

The Commodores (21-8) needed an extra inning at Hawkins Field to defeat Western Kentucky (25-4) 5-4 with the winning run being scored on a Hilltopper fielding error. It was a better night at the plate some of the Commodores’ nights last weekend, but they still left six runners on base in the game.

Here are three takeaways from Tuesday night’s 5-4 win over the Hilltoppers:

1. A successful lineup change

Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin shook up his batting lineup for Western Kentucky, moving RJ Austin to third and switching Riley Nelson and Brodie Johnston so that Nelson batted in the cleanup spot. For the most part, it worked. Jacob Humphrey was 2-for-4 with a walk and RBI in the leadoff spot. Austin was for 2-for-5 and an RBI. Johnston hit his sixth home run of the season and three others had at least one hit. Could it have been a better night at the plate for Vanderbilt? Sure, but after their series against Arkansas, any positive signs for the Commodores are welcome.

2. Pitching is still great (with one exception)

What the Commodores lack at the plate, they have an abundance on the mound. Vanderbilt has one of the nation’s best pitching staffs and, excluding the eighth inning when the Commodores used three pitchers (including two throwing seven or fewer pitches) and Western Kentucky tied the game at 4-4.

Austin Nye had another solid start, pitching 5.1 innings and gave up four hits, no walks and nine strikeouts. He now has 39 strikeouts on the season.

3. Dueling errors

Vanderbilt is one of the best fielding teams in the nation, ranking sixth in fielding percentage (.985). So, it was a little bit surprising to see an error committed in the first at-bat of the game. It’s the Commodores’ 15th error of the season. Obviously, the Commodores overcame that and won the game on a Western Kentucky error in the last at-bat of the game.

Next up for Vanderbilt is three-game road series at Florida, starting at 5:30 p.m. Friday on SECN+. The series will continue at noon Saturday on SECN+ and at 11 a.m. Sunday on SEC Network.

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Taylor Hodges is a staff writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI covering all-things Vanderbilt. Taylor brings more than a decade’s worth of award-winning sports writing, photography and video experience covering every level of sports — from Little League baseball to professional sports and other sports like hunting and fishing. Taylor is fueled by his lifelong passion for sports that began the same day Kirk Gibson hit his legendary World Series walk-off home run, Arkansas beat Texas in Austin and No. 4 Notre Dame beat No. 1 Miami in the Catholics vs. Convicts game.

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