Vanderbilt Baseball Hosts Michigan In Exhibition Matchup

THe Innaugural David WIlliams Fall Classic honored the COmmodores late athletic director along with the Negor Baseball League.

The Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team hosted the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday at Hawkins Field in the innaugural David Williams Fall Classi baseball game before ain imrpessive crowd on a beatiful day in Nashville.

The rematch of last seasons national championship series was a tribute to former Vanderbilt athletics director, the late David WIlliams, as well as to the Negro Baseball Leauge.  

Michigan gained a measure of revenge, winning the game 3-2, soring the winning run in the top of the ninth inning on a Commodores error by third baseman Parker Noland. 

True freshman, Jack Leiter, son of former major league pitcher Al Leiter started on the mound for head coach TIm Corbin and the Commodores. A potential top ten pick in last years MLB Draft were it not for his decision to keep his commitment to the Commodores, Leiter pitched two innings, giving up 2 runs on 2 hits while stricking out 4., 

He also allowing 3 base on balls in his first ever appearance in a Vanderbilt uniform at Hawkins Field.

Michael Doolin, Ethan Smith, Sam Hliboki, Lukle Murphy and Chris McElvain followed Leiter to the mound for the Commodores.

 McElvain took the loss, facing five batters in the top of the ninth, allowing a lead of single, a ground out single to move the winning run to second baase followed by the error. 

McElvain, a true freshman from SUmmitt High School in Spring Hill struck out two batters in the final inning. 

The Commodores got a lead off single from CJ Rodriguez to start the ninth, but were unable to advance him from there as Matt Hogan popped out to the shortstop to end the game.