College Baseball Fans Couldn't Believe Wright State Pulled Pitcher During No-Hitter vs. Vanderbilt

The Commodores quickly took the lead after Cam Allen was yanked after six innings of no-hit ball.
Cam Allen (42) throws to a Vanderbilt batter during the first inning of the Nashville Regional.
Cam Allen (42) throws to a Vanderbilt batter during the first inning of the Nashville Regional. / Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wright State had top-ranked Vanderbilt right where they wanted its opponent in the opening round of the NCAA baseball tournament. Through the first six innings of their matchup in the Nashville Regional, they held a 3-0 lead while Cam Allen was pitching a no-hitter—fanning seven Commodore batters and walking just three on 77 pitches.

Then, however, manager Alex Sogard made the inexplicable decision to pull Allen in favor of reliever Warren Hartzell. Hartzell quickly let up three home runs in back-to-back innings that allowed Vanderbilt to go out in front 4-3.

Fans were flabbergasted, and took their frustrations out on social media. Here's a look at some of the reactions across X (formerly Twitter):

A classic case of overmanagement.

Wright State went on to lose the contest, with Sogard explaining that the reason they took out Allen was that he "started to labor" his second time through the lineup and that they "felt good" about the arms behind him in the bullpen.

The Raiders will now face off against East Tennessee State in the Nashville Super Regional, while Vanderbilt is on to Louisville. The Commodores, a perennial power, are seeking their first national title since 2019.


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Mike Kadlick
MIKE KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He has a master's in public relations from Boston University. Kadlick is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.