NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt’s JD Thompson and Devin Futrell combined for a shutout against No. 1 Tennessee as the Commodores won the series finale, 3-0, Sunday at Hawkins Field.
Thompson and Futrell held the Volunteers to season lows in both hits and runs and combined for 14 strikeouts. Thompson earned the win with 6.0 innings of work. The southpaw matched his career mark with nine strikeouts and held Tennessee to just two hits.
Six shutout innings for Thompson to start the game 😏 pic.twitter.com/nHTyhVhvUA
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) May 12, 2024
Futrell entered the game with two runners on base and nobody out in the sixth inning. Futrell got out of the inning with three consecutive strikeouts and shutdown the Volunteers over the final two frames to earn his first save.
The Vandy pitchers didn’t need much run support on Sunday, but Thompson got some early.
Alan Espinal provided a jumpstart to the offense with a two-run blast to right field in the top of the first to give the Dores an early 2-0 lead. RJ Austin lined a two-out single through the right side to set up Espinal’s team-leading 10th homer on the season.
Dores take the early lead courtesy of Espi 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Y9KbHFeJkU
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) May 12, 2024
Camden Kozeal led off the bottom of the second with a line drive to right. Jack Bulger worked a one-out walk and with two outs, Jonathan Vastine singled to right, scoring Kozeal from second to put the Dores up 3-0.
Vandy outhit Tennessee 11-3 with multi-hit performances from Vastine, Espinal, Kozeal and Polk. Every Vandy starter reached base safely at least once.
Vandy improves to 34-18 overall and 12-15 in the SEC with Sunday’s win, the program’s first over the No. 1 team since 2016.
The Commodores wrap up the regular season at No. 4 Kentucky with a three-game series beginning Thursday in Lexington.