Runs should have been at a premium with pitchers the caliber of Tommy Mace and Jack Leiter taking the mound on Saturday night. Instead, the No. 2 Vanderbilt Commodores and No. 15 Florida Gators engaged in a home run derby that watched Florida even the series with an 11-8 win.
Vanderbilt got to Tommy Mace early. Enrique Bradfield Jr. grounded the first pitch of the game back to Mace, who's toss to Jordan Butler was low, resulting in an error on Mace. A strikeout, single, and fiedler's choice later the Dores were on the board.
Leiter took the mound with the 1-0 lead but walked the first two batters he faced bringing up Jud Fabian. The third-year sophomore has more than 50 strikeouts this season and Leiter leads the country with 106 punchouts but Fabian wouldn't add to the list on Saturday night. Fabian turned around a 95 MPH fastball and launched it over the wall in left field, his 15th home run of the season.
"It was a fastball," Fabian said. "I have a two strike approach now to limit the strikeouts because I've been striking out a little too much. I kind of widen out a little bit to keep my self centered and I saw a fastball."
Like a heavyweight title fight, Vanderbilt stood in the center of the ring and swung back.
Mace hit Spencer Jones with one out then Tate Kolwyck doubled down the left line. Maxwell Romero Jr. grounded out, platig Jones and Bradfield line a single into left field to tie the game. Vandy took a 4-3 lead on a two-out Parker Noland solo home run in the fourth inning.
Florida went back to work in their half of the fourth.
Jud Fabian took a hanging Leiter slider over the left field wall and to the berm to tie the game. The dinger was Fabian's 16th of the season, second-best in the country. Kirby McMullen followed up with a solo home run of his own to give Florida a 5-4 advantage.
After the fourth inning Mace figured the Dores out. He threw up a zero for the first time. He matched that in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings as well.
I think that’s one of the most competitive outings that I can remember. I think he gave up six over the first four and a couple rebound run innings but the way he settled in after the fourth inning was nothing short of remarkable, to be honest with you,” Kevin O’Sullivan said. “He battled. He made pitches. As the game went on he got better.”
The Gators chased Leiter from the game after four innings but went into the fourth inning trailing 6-5. Jordan Butler doubled with two outs and scored on Josh Rivera's single to right field. Rivera advanced to third on Colby Halter's single and score when Jacob Young reached on an error to give the Gators a 7-6 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
In the sixth Fabian walked and Kris Armstrong crushed his second home run in as many days to extend the Florida lead to 11-6. Mace continued on into the eighth inning, allowing one run but still touching 96 on the gun well into 100 pitches. Jack Leftwich finished the game in the ninth to even the series.
Florida will send Hunter Barco to the mound on Sunday looking to take the series and pull within one game of the lead in the SEC East.
