Funk Rocked Hard in the 2nd. Vandy Wins 5-3!

In the top of the 2^nd, Bryan Reynolds flat out saved the game with a highlight reel warning track catch, robbing Grant Kay of at least a double, and keeping Louisville off the scoreboard.  In the bottom of the inning, after Norwood worked a 2 out walk, Corbin tabbed Coleman as DH - most likely trying to capitalize on Funkhouser's wildness by squeezing the strike zone - and Coleman delivered, stinging a single to right field.  Ellison followed with a walk on a slider that just missed up and in.  Funkhouser then unraveled, uncorking a wild pitch that scored Norwood, and then grooving one to Swanson, who ripped a 2 run gapper to give the Dores a 3-0 lead with a dominant pitcher on the mound.

The Commodores tacked another on in the 4^th, when Bryan Reynolds crushed a triple to the gap to score Dansby Swanson.  However, Fulmer, who was lights out in the first 4 innings, got a bit shaken in the 5^th, and a poor choice to dive by Wiseman on a liner to right field led to Sutton Whiting on third and a run on the board.  Whiting scored later on a fielder's choice to SS Vince Conde.

In the 7^th, things went a little sideways, as Zach Lucas damn near took off Hayden Stone's head with a screamer up the middle.  Stone then induced a fly out and a groundout, but Lucas moved up to 2^nd on the latter.  With a man on 2^nd, Swanson had to pinch in towards the bag, and what would have been a routine groundout became a run-producing single.

Corbin then went to Jared Miller, who hit Jeff Gardner in the back on a terrible 3-2 pitch.  Thankfully, Corbs had Adam Ravenelle warming up, and Rav got Chittenden to fly out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 7^th, Vandy got a much needed insurance run when wonky lefty Kyle McGrath got his wires crossed with catcher Kyle Gibson, and what was meant to be a pitch-out went over the plate and straight on through to the backstop, scoring Conde for a 5-3 lead.

Adam Ravenelle continued his great day in the 8^th, striking out the lead-off hitter and then continuing to pound the strike zone, resulting in two fly outs to Bryan Reynolds.  He was equally efficient in the 9^th, with a 1 pitch fly out to center by Zach Lucas, an infield hit to Kyle Gibson, striking out Cole Sturgeon, and got freshman Nick Solak to fly out to John Norwood to end the game and put Vanderbilt into the winner's bracket.

We'll play UC Irvine on Monday at 7pm CT, but tonight, we celebrate.

Until Monday night, let's listen to some of that sweet, sweet funk rock...