Friday night’s game between No. 23 Vanderbilt and Florida wasn’t the epic pitcher’s duel some had predicted , but that wasn’t the Commodores’ fault. Vanderbilt won the first game of the weekend at Condron Park in Gainesville, Fla. 6-0 thanks in part to the three Commodore pitchers, but also timely hitting by the Commodore batters.
JD Thompson held the Gators to just four hits and three walks in 4.2 innings of work and was relieved after allowing Florida two base runners in the bottom of the fifth inning and two outs, the last of which was a four-pitch strikeout to Boser. Vanderbilt then sent Miller Green to end the inning with a strikeout of his own. It was the only batter Green, who got the win for Vanderbilt, faced before Sawyer Hawks entered the game to start the sixth inning and gave up three hits and no walks while tallying six strikeouts.
Another two-out RBI for @RjAustin14 💪 pic.twitter.com/hyBD5uBxLf
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) April 4, 2025
Florida’s starting pitcher Liam Peterson, a likely first round draft prospect, struck out six batters but also gave up five walks and five hits for three runs in 5.1 innings of work. In all, the Gators issued 10 bases on balls and Vanderbilt did its best to take advantage of those free baserunners. One of those walks led to the games’ first run scored. Mike Mancini drew a two-out walk in the at-bat just before RJ Austin hit a triple to left center field. Austin would later drive in another Commodore who reached base on a walk in the fifth inning. Austin’s double extended Vanderbilt to 2-0 and Riley Nelson extended it even further when he drove in Austin on center field single…