VU v. UGA: Game 2

Game 2

#1 Vanderbilt (25-6, 8-2 SEC) v. UGA (18-13, 5-5 SEC)

Athens, Ga.

1pm CT SECN+

Pitching Match-Up

Vanderbilt Jr. RHP Walker Buehler (2-0, 1.93 ERA)

v. UGA Jr. LHP Ryan Lawlor (3-3. 2.52 ERA)

Vanderbilt's offense, behind a 3-3 3 R 3 RBI performance by Dansby Swanson and a first inning bases clearing double by Will Toffey, provided enough cushion for the Dores to fend off a late push by Georgia and hold on for a 9-7 win.  Carson Fulmer dominated early, but came unglued in the 6th.  With 2 outs and the bases empty, Fulmer gave up a single, and then went wild, giving up a back to back walk and HBP, loading the bases.  Fulmer had clearly lost it, but with a 7 run lead, Corbin chose to leave him in the game, and Fulmer gave up 3 hits and 3 runs before getting out of the inning.

Phil Pfeiffer got the call in the 7th and looked, in a word, terrible.  The announcers went full Uecker and dubbed him "effectively wild," but that was an understatement.  Pfeif came in wild, walking the first three batters.  A bases loaded single by Daniel Nichols plated two, but then Pfeifer settled down a bit and retired the side.  I say "a bit," as even though he retired the side, Karl Ellison saved at least 3 pitches from being wild, and one that was wild luckily caromed off the backstop and went right back into Ellison's glove.  It was about as close to being a meltdown as they come.

Corbin stayed with Pfeif to close out the game, despite possibly hearing me screaming from over 900 miles away to take him out.  Luckily, Pfeif settled down, got a 1-2-3 inning with 2 Ks in the 8th, and struck out three around a walk and a passed ball in the 9th.  Perhaps all Pfeiffer needed was an extended warm-up, or perhaps the 6th and 7th innings existed in a parallel dimension where Carson Fulmer and Philip Pfeifer threw balls of opposite ionic fields as home plate.  Either way, we got out of it with a win.  Walker Buehler takes the bump today, and should not have similar control problems, please and thank you.

See you in the comments at 1pm.