Commodores win Streak ends at nine as Hawaii wins game two

Game two of the three-game set as the Vanderbilt Commodores played host to the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Hawkins Field.

The Vanderbilt Commodores nine-game win streak came to an end Saturday afternoon in a 3-1 loss to the visiting Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

The visitors score single runs in the first, sixth and ninth innings with Vanderbilt starter Thomas Shultz allowing his lone run in the first. Relievers Chris McElvain and Tyler Brown each allowed a line run, with McElvain's coming in the sixth and Brown's in the ninth.    

Hawaii starter Aaron Davenport controlled the Commodores, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing just three base hits and walks. Davenport was in trouble in both the first and second innings, but each time the right-hander managed to work his way out jams, leaving two men stranded in each frame. 

In all, Davenport stranded six Commodore baserunners before giving way to junior right-hander Cade Smith.

Vanderbilt broke through with their first run of the game in the seventh when Harrison Ray singled, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Cooper Davis. Davis then stole second, took third on a wild pitch but was left stranded when freshman catcher CJ Rodriguez lined out sharply to third to end the inning and the Commodores threat. 

The Commodores had perhaps their best chance to tie the game in the bottom half of the eighth, down2-1 and with Austin Martin at first base, pinch hitter Dominic Keegan drove a pitch deep into the right-centerfield alley that looked like it would be in for extra bases and possibly tie the game, but Hawaii right fielder Scotty Scott made a leaping dive on the warning track to rob Keegan and all but end the threat on one play. 

Shults, who was a late substitution for scheduled starter Kumar Rocker was solid in his first start of the season, going 5 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits, striking out six and allowing just one walk.  

Shultz said after the game that he received a phone call from pitching coach Scott Brown at 9 am this morning informing him that he would start.

While the Commodores pitching staff as a whole have been outstanding, both McElvain and Brown have struggled at times and both allowed earned runs today and have an ERA above five. 

While there might well be nothing to worry about with Brown at this point, for the casual observer it is troubling that he once again allowed a run late in a game. 

The Commodores and Hawaii will face off again Sunday in the rubber game of the series with first pitch scheduled at noon CST at Hawkings Field.