Live Updates: No. 23 Vanderbilt at Florida, Game One

Follow along here for updates, analysis and reacts to the Commodores' first game against the Gators in Gainesville, Fla.

Vanderbilt pitcher Sawyer Hawks, right, talks with teammates before a NCAA college baseball game against Tennessee Tech at Hawkins Field Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No. 23 Vanderbilt is on the road for its next SEC series against Florida and both teams are putting their ace pitchers on the mound for Friday night.

Vanderbilt's JD Thompson and Florida's Liam Peterson will lead their respective teams into the first of three games this weekend at Condron Family Park in Gainesville, Fla.

Follow along below for live updates, analysis and reactions to the Commodores and Gators' game.

Live Updates

(Most recent updates at the top.)

Final: No. 23 Vanderbilt 6, Florida 0

B9: Sawyer Hawks, made it interesting with two singles to start the final inning, but completed the shutout for Vanderbilt with three-straight strikeouts. Vanderbilt 6, Florida 0

T9: Jonathan Vastine manages to get a two-out single, but Rigdon's strikeout in the following at-bat sends the Commodores into the bottom of the ninth with a big lead. Vanderbilt 6, Florida 0

B8: Sawyer Hawks shuts down the Gators in the bottom half of the inning, recording two strikeouts and a groundout to keep Vanderbilt's shutout intact. Vanderbilt 6, Florida 0

T8: Vanderbilt adds another couple of runs. Vastine and Humphrey both reached base on walks (against different Florida pitchers) and Mancini drove in one run on a single that prompted another pitching change by the Gators. RJ Austin struck out to put two outs on the board, but Riley Nelson hit another single that drove in two runs and extended Vanderbilt's lead. Vanderbilt 6, Florida 0

B7: Sawyer Hawks continues his impressive season with a three up, three down inning to leave the Commodores six outs away from a win. Vanderbilt 3, Florida 0

T7: Riley Nelson got on base for Vanderbilt with a one out single to left center field and Mac Rose drew a walk, but the Commodores' threat ended without any runs scored. Vanderbilt 3, Florida 0.

B6: Vanderbilt makes a pitching change before the inning, replacing Green with Sawyer Hawks, who has been one of the Commodores' better bullpen arms. Other than a one out single, Hawks shut down the Gators with a ground out, fly out and strikeout. Vanderbilt 3, Florida 0

T6: Liam Peterson was relieved after a leadoff single by Mac Rose and a strikeout against Colin Barczi, but his relief gave up a walk against the only batter he faced and was replaced by sophomore Jake Clemente with two runners and one out. Rigdon drew a walk in Clemente's first at-bat to load the bases, but would record back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning. Vanderbilt 3, Florida 0

B5: Florida starts the inning with back-to-back hits without recording any outs, but Vanderbilt relieves Thompson for Miller Green with two outs and Green strikes out his first batter faced to end the inning with two runners on base. Vanderbilt 3, Florida 0

T5: Vanderbilt is showing it can play small ball. Florida's Liam Peterson has walked five batters and Jacob Humphrey put down a sacrifice walk following Rustan Rigdon's leadoff walk. RJ Austin drove in Rigdon with a hard hit ball to centerfield, extending the Commodores' lead to 2-0 and later scored a run on Riley Nelson's single. Vanderbilt 3, Florida 0

Side note: Both Florida and Vanderbilt have pitchers warming up in the bullpen.

B4: Thompson continues to hold up his end of the pitcher's duel, forcing a three-up, three-down inning from the Gators and has allowed just three hits in four innings.
Vanderbilt 1, Florida 0.

T4: The Commodores appeared to have avoided an inning-ending double play on Jonathan Vastine's groun ball to second base, but a replay challenge overturned the call. Vanderbilt 1, Florida 0.

B3: Florida got a pair of singles against Thompson, but wasn't able to push any runners across home plate. Vanderbilt 1, Florida 0

T3: RJ Austin hits an RBI triple after Mike Mancini drew a full-count walk against Peterson to score the first run of the game. Austin's hit nearly went out of the park with his hit, the second such hit by a Commodore batter.

B2: Florida catches Vanderbilt's infielders sleeping and gets a two-out stolen base, but a groundout two pitches later nullifies that stolen base.

T2: A pair of flyouts and a strikeout end the Commodores' half of the inning and now we get to see both teams' strengths in action.

B1: JD Thompson forces back-to-back weakly hit ground balls to start his outing, but gives up a full-count base hit to Colby Shelton for the Gators' first hit. Thompson then walked his 10th batter of the season, but a groundout to third baseman Brodie Johnston ends the inning without any damage done.

T1: Jacob Humphrey hits his first pitch faced for a single to start the game. Mike Mancini nearly sends a 2-0 pitch out of the park, but came up a couple feet short before Humphrey steals his 14th base (leads the SEC, too). RJ Austin moved Humphrey to third base on the next pitch on a 5-3 groundout. Riley Nelson drew a two-out walk, but Brodie Johnston struck out to end the inning.

Taylor's Take: Uh, I strongly disagree that Johnston swung on that last at-bat. There's no replay, so it is what it is, but a couple of the calls during Johnston's at-bat I would label as questionable.

Pregame: Taylor Hodges here and we're getting ready for the first-pitch of tonight's game. I'll be providing updates and reactions throughout tonight's game. Looking forward to what I expect to be a pitcher's duel tonight.