Vanderbilt's Biggest Turning Points in Win Against Auburn
No. 16 and No. 25 Auburn may be setting the bar too high for the 2025 SEC baseball season. In the first two games of the opening weekend of conference play, the Commodores and Tigers have put on two impressive and exciting games.
After falling 6-2 Friday night, Vanderbilt bounced back Saturday with an 8-6 win against the host Tigers.
Here are the two biggest turning point-moments for Vanderbilt in it’s Saturday win against Auburn:
Sawyer Hawks Relieves Ethan McElvain in 2nd Inning
In Friday’s SEC-opener, Vanderbilt starting pitcher JD Thompson ran into trouble in the third inning, giving up five runs on four hits. One run scored as a result of a wild pitch, but Thompson stayed in the game for two more innings (which he allowed just one hit and no runs). In the midst of the five-run third inning, Vanderbilt pitching coach Scott Brown made a mound visit, but the Tigers scored three more runs after the visit.
In Saturday’s game, Vanderbilt took more immediate action when its starting pitcher got into trouble. Ethan McElvain gave up two hits, including a two-run home run, and three total runs on three walks, one hit-by-pitch and a strikeout. Perhaps McElvain could’ve bounced back and shut down the Tigers for the rest of the game.
But, perhaps with Friday’s game still in recent memory, Vanderbilt changed pitchers and brought in Sawyer Hawks who ended up winning his third game of the season and allowed two runs on four hits and two walks and three strikeouts in three innings of work.
Tim Corbin Challenging, and Winning, a Replay Review
If you’re Auburn coach Butch Thompson, what scenario would you prefer to be in with a 4-3 lead at home in the top of the fifth inning: One out, two runners on base or no outs, bases loaded?
Easy choice, right? You’d want the first of those two options and Auburn almost had that scenario. Collin Barczi hit a ground ball to third base and Brodie Johnston was called out at third. Following a chaotic series of events, Auburn’s Eric Snow’s throw to first base was off-target, allowing Barczi to reach base safely. Then, for some reason, Johnston got caught in a rundown between third and home, in which he was eventually tagged and called out (again).
But Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin, who serves as the third-base coach instead of staying in the dugout, saw something and challenged the initial “out” call at third base. He’d be proven right and Johnston was allowed to return to third base, giving Vanderbilt a bases-loaded situation with no outs. And the Commodores took advantage.
📽️ Vandy 8, Auburn 6 pic.twitter.com/V67ofoDkCh
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) March 15, 2025
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-8b6c726067ba8eb0b5197041f28d1b64.jpeg "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.