Vandy's Brett Jacobson started in place of David Price who has a flu like illness. Jacobson responded by keeping Ohio scoreless until the fourth when they scored an unearned run. Jacobson struck out four and had just 3 walks in his five innings on the mound. "It's tough to pitch in this type of weather. You've limited feel in your fingers as you know. I think he [Jacobson] did a nice job but when he got into the fifth inning he couldn't feel his fingers at all so we just got Tyler in there," said Commodore head coach Tim Corbin. Tyler Rhoden pitched 2 2/3 innings before giving up the first hit of the game in the eighth inning to Ohio's Dusty Hammond. Mount Juliet freshman Caleb Cotham held the Bobcats scoreless and hitless in the final inning.
After the scoreless first inning the Commodores took a 1-0 lead RBI single by Brad French. Ryan Davis' groundout scored a second run to give Vanderbilt a 2-0 lead in the second.
Vanderbilt added two more runs in the fourth off a Matt Meingasner double and a Ryan Davis score on a wild pitch. Meingasner went on to finish the game with four hits and three runs scored, both career highs for him. Alex Feinberg had the game's only home run during the sixth inning.
The fifth inning saw Ohio score their lone run on a wild pitch but the Commodores quickly answered by scoring two more runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to put the game out of reach.
Jacobson (2-0) picked up the win for Vanderbilt. Matt Smith (0-1) earned the loss for Ohio.
Price, who attended a Hall of Fame dinner on Saturday, could pitch on Sunday but his status is not certain.
Vanderbilt wore all-black uniforms for the first time. "I just always wanted to do it. It was kind of an old school deal. I really liked it but I told the guys if we ever go that rout you have to back it up, you just can't go out there and play it soft," said coach Corbin of the new uniform combination.
Vanderbilt and Ohio meet again on Saturday at 2 p.m. Nick Christiani will face Ohio lefty Dan Weiss.
Vanderbilt's Alex Feinberg gets ready to swing at an Ohio pitch in the sixth inning. Just seconds later Feinberg would launch it over the left field fence. (VM/Don Yates)
Alex Feinberg is congratulated by his teammates after his sixth inning 2-run homer. (VM/Don Yates)
VIDEO: Mike Meingasner gets a double- Watch Video