Vanderbilt baseball starting pitcher Connor Fennell carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before No. 21-ranked Tennessee’s Blake Grimmer broke it up with a double to left field during the Commodores’ 3-2, 10-inning victory against their in-state foes in the first game of their three-game SEC series at Hawkins Field.
Logan Johnstone’s single with one out in the 10th scored Cade Sears to secure the win.
Fennell allowed two runs, three hits, walked one and struck out nine in 7⅓ innings during which he threw 103 pitches before he was pulled in favor of Luke Guth with a runner on third and one out in the eighth inning.
The Commodores (15-12, 3-4 SEC) struck first in the third inning when catcher Ryker Waite led off with a double and scored on Brodie Johnston’s infield single. They upped their lead to 2-0 on catcher Korbin Reynolds’ solo home run to right field with one out in the fifth inning.
Johnston had four hits and Waite had two.
Tennessee starter Brandon Arvidson allowed two runs, four hits, two walks and struck out seven in five innings before Tegan Kuhns replaced him. Arvidson started the game in Kuhns’ stead for the Vols (18-8, 3-4). After Grimmer’s double, Henry Ford hit a screaming single to left field to put Vols on first and third with one out. Grimmer scored on a double-steal attempt for the Vols’ first run of the game in the sixth.
Manny Marin’s leadoff single in the top of the eighth, coupled with an errant pickoff attempt and a sacrifice bunt, put him on third base with one out before Luke Guth gave up an RBI single to Levi Clark that tied the game 2-2. Brennan Seiber relieved Guth with one out and a runners on first and second and induced Ford to ground into an inning-ending double play to keep the scored tied.
The Vols had runners on first and third with two outs after Jay Abernathy walked and Levi Clark singled to left field but Vanderbilt reliever Brennan Seiber struck out Blake Grimmer to end the inning.
Vanderbilt went down in order to send the game into extra innings.
Vanderbilt relief pitcher Brennan Seiber retired the Vols 1-2-3 to keep the score tied.
Brodie Johnston singled but the Commodores didn’t score.
Manny Marin’s leadoff single, coupled with an errant pickoff attempt and a sacrifice bunt, put him on third base with one out. Luke Guth then relieved Vanderbilt starter Connor Fennell and gave up an RBI single to Levi Clark that tied the game 2-all. Fennell struck out nine, walked one and allowed two runs and three hits in 7 1/3 innings. Brennan Seiber relieved Guth with one out and a runners on first and second. Seiber induced Henry Ford to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Ryker Waite’s one-out single, his second hit of the game, was for naught as the Comodores failed to score.
Connor Fennell pushed his strikeout total to nine in another 1-2-3 inning.
Brodie Johnston singled to center field to lead off the inning against new Vols pitcher Tegan Kuhns, who replaced Brandon Arvidson after the former allowed two runs, four hits, two walks and struck out seven. Caleb Holcomb followed with a single of his own to put runners on first and second with nobody out. But the Commodores came up empty after Holcomb was caught stealing second to end the inning after the previous two hitters struck out.
Blake Grimmer’s double to left field with one out ended Connor Fennell’s no-hit bid. Henry Ford followed with a screaming single to left field to put Vols on first and third with one out. Grimmer scored when Ford was thrown out on a double-steal attempt for the Vols’s first run of the game.
Vanderbilt catcher Korbin Reynolds’ solo home run to right field with one out in the inning gave the Commodores a 2-0 lead. It was Reynolds’ third home run of the season.
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Connor Fennell has a no-hitter through five innings. He’s thrown 68 pitches, struck out six, allowed one walk and has hit one batter.
Tennessee starting pitcher Brandon Arvidson struck out two more Commodores to run his total to six for the game.
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Connor Fennell struck out two hitters in another 1-2-3 inning to push his strikeout total to five for the game.
A half-inning after making a diving play for an out at shortstop, Vanderbilt’s Ryker Waite hit a line-hugging double to left field with one out to give his team its second hit of the game. Mike Mancini and Colin Barczi followed with walks to load the bases for Brodie Johnston with two outs. Johnston’s infield single, which bounced over Vols pitcher Brandon Arvidson’s head gave the Commodores a 1-0 lead.
Vanderbilt shortstop Ryker Waite made a diving play to rob Vols first baseman Levi Clark for the second out of the inning as the Commodores held Tennessee hitless and scoreless again.
Logan Johnstone’s infield single with one out was the first hit of the game for either team, and Vanderbilt’s first baserunner. But the Commodores failed to capitalize when Johnstone was thrown out trying to steal second base by Vols catcher Stone Lawless to end the inning.
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Connor Fennell struck out two in his second consecutive scoreless inning, with his only hiccup being a hit batter.
Just as Vanderbilt starting pitcher Connor Fennell did to the Vols, retiring them 1-2-3 in the top of the first inning, Vols starter Brandon Arvidson did the same to the Commodores in the bottom of the inning on just 10 pitches.
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Connor Fennell sent the Vols down 1-2-3 in the top of the first inning on 13 pitches.
Mike Mancini, LF
Colin Barczi, DH
Brodie Johnston 2B
Braden Holcomb, 3B
Logan Johnstone, RF
Rustan Rigdon, CF
Chris Maldonado, 1B
Ryker Waite, SS
Korbin Reynolds, C
Connor Fennell, P
Blake Grimmer, 2B
Henry Ford, 3B
Blaine Brown, LF
Reese Chapman, RF
Stone Lawless, C
Garrett Wright, CF
Manny Marin, SS
Tyler Myatt, DH
Levi Clark, 1B
Brandon Arvidson, P
March 27: RHP Connor Fennell (2-1, 5.74) vs. LHP Brandon Arvidson (1-0, 3.52 ERA)
March 28: RHP Wyatt Nadeau (1-1, 3.27) vs. RHP Landon Mack (3-2, 3.38)
March 29: TBA vs. Evan Blanco (2-2, 2.73)
Vanderbilt baseball vs Tennessee on March 27 will be televised on ESPNU.
All times Central
Vanderbilt vs. LSU start time is scheduled for 7 p.m. today at Hawkins Field in Nashville.
Out
Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at [email protected] and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina.
Paul Skrbina
The Vols had runners on first and third with two outs after Jay Abernathy walked and Levi Clark singled to left field but Vanderbilt reliever Brennan Seiber struck out Blake Grimmer to end the inning.
Paul Skrbina
Vanderbilt went down in order to send the game into extra innings.
Paul Skrbina
Vanderbilt relief pitcher Brennan Seiber retired the Vols 1-2-3 to keep the score tied.
Paul Skrbina
Brodie Johnston singled but the Commodores didn’t score.
Paul Skrbina
Manny Marin’s leadoff single, coupled with an errant pickoff attempt and a sacrifice bunt, put him on third base with one out. Luke Guth then relieved Vanderbilt starter Connor Fennell and gave up an RBI single to Levi Clark that tied the game 2-all. Fennell struck out nine, walked one and allowed two runs and three hits in 7 1/3 innings. Brennan Seiber relieved Guth with one out and a runners on first and second. Seiber induced Henry Ford to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Paul Skrbina
Ryker Waite’s one-out single, his second hit of the game, was for naught as the Comodores failed to score.
Paul Skrbina
Connor Fennell pushed his strikeout total to nine in another 1-2-3 inning.
Paul Skrbina
Brodie Johnston singled to center field to lead off the inning against new Vols pitcher Tegan Kuhns, who replaced Brandon Arvidson after the former allowed two runs, four hits, two walks and struck out seven. Caleb Holcomb followed with a single of his own to put runners on first and second with nobody out. But the Commodores came up empty after Holcomb was caught stealing second to end the inning after the previous two hitters struck out.
Paul Skrbina
Blake Grimmer’s double to left field with one out ended Connor Fennell’s no-hit bid. Henry Ford followed with a screaming single to left field to put Vols on first and third with one out. Grimmer scored when Ford was thrown out on a double-steal attempt for the Vols’s first run of the game.
Paul Skrbina
Vanderbilt catcher Korbin Reynolds’ solo home run to right field with one out in the inning gave the Commodores a 2-0 lead. It was Reynolds’ third home run of the season.
Paul Skrbina
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Connor Fennell has a no-hitter through five innings. He’s thrown 68 pitches, struck out six, allowed one walk and has hit one batter.
Paul Skrbina
Tennessee starting pitcher Brandon Arvidson struck out two more Commodores to run his total to six for the game.
Paul Skrbina
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Connor Fennell struck out two hitters in another 1-2-3 inning to push his strikeout total to five for the game.
Paul Skrbina
A half-inning after making a diving play for an out at shortstop, Vanderbilt’s Ryker Waite hit a line-hugging double to left field with one out to give his team its second hit of the game. Mike Mancini and Colin Barczi followed with walks to load the bases for Brodie Johnston with two outs. Johnston’s infield single, which bounced over Vols pitcher Brandon Arvidson’s head gave the Commodores a 1-0 lead.
Paul Skrbina
Vanderbilt shortstop Ryker Waite made a diving play to rob Vols first baseman Levi Clark for the second out of the inning as the Commodores held Tennessee hitless and scoreless again.
Paul Skrbina
Logan Johnstone’s infield single with one out was the first hit of the game for either team, and Vanderbilt’s first baserunner. But the Commodores failed to capitalize when Johnstone was thrown out trying to steal second base by Vols catcher Stone Lawless to end the inning.
Paul Skrbina
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Connor Fennell struck out two in his second consecutive scoreless inning, with his only hiccup being a hit batter.
Paul Skrbina
Just as Vanderbilt starting pitcher Connor Fennell did to the Vols, retiring them 1-2-3 in the top of the first inning, Vols starter Brandon Arvidson did the same to the Commodores in the bottom of the inning on just 10 pitches.
Paul Skrbina
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Connor Fennell sent the Vols down 1-2-3 in the top of the first inning.
Paul Skrbina
Blake Grimmer, 2B
Henry Ford, 3B
Blaine Brown, LF
Reese Chapman, RF
Stone Lawless, C
Garrett Wright, CF
Manny Marin, SS
Tyler Myatt, DH
Levi Clark, 1B
Brandon Arvidson, P
Paul Skrbina
Mike Mancini, LF
Cllin Barczzi, DH
Brsodie Johnston 2B
Braden Holcomb, 3B
Logan Johnstone, RF
Rustan Rigdon, CF
Chris Maldonado, 1B
Ryker Waite, SS
Korbin Reynolds, C
Connor Fennell, P
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