SPORTS

Vanderbilt one win from CWS final after beating TCU

Adam Sparks
asparks@tennessean.com


Vanderbilt’s Zander Wiel (43) is congratulated by teammates including Kyle Smith (39) after his solo home run during the seventh inning Tuesday.

OMAHA, Neb.Vanderbilt's Zander Wiel broke up a no-hitter and sent the Commodores to the College World Series final four in a single swing Tuesday night.

Wiel blasted a towering solo home run just inside the left-field foul pole in the seventh inning to carry Vanderbilt to a 1-0 win over TCU in the winners' bracket.

"It wasn't a terrible pitch, but it was hittable," Wiel said. "I just put one really good swing on it."

Vanderbilt (49-19), the defending national champion, earned a two-day break after winning tight games in back-to-back days. The Commodores will play at 7 p.m. Friday against the TCU-LSU winner.

One more win will send Vanderbilt back to the national championship series.

"That felt like a championship-style game in every way," Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said. "We felt like one run could make the difference, and that's the way it shaped up."

TCU's Alex Young (9-3) and Vanderbilt's Philip Pfeifer (6-4) staged a pitcher's duel, as the teams combined for 25 strikeouts, a TD Ameritrade Park record. But the Commodores got the one big swing from Wiel that made the difference.

"It was one mistake, and his bat ran into the ball," Young said. "Every other pitch I threw for a strike. That one was just bad luck."

TCU (50-14) will play LSU at 7 p.m. Thursday in an elimination game.

Wiel's home run came out of nowhere, as Young carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning after already tying the TD Ameritrade Park record with 12 strikeouts.

But Wiel ended that near-flawless night with his 15th homer of the season, tied for the team high, and his fourth long ball of the postseason.

Young was pulled with two outs in the eighth inning, after giving up one run on three hits.

Wiel's homer put Vanderbilt ahead 1-0 with Pfeifer on the mound, making his College World Series debut.

Pfeifer wasn't as overpowering as Young, but he was more effective. He escaped the first and third innings, leaving two runners on base in each, and another threat in the bottom of the seventh.

Dansby Swanson, Vanderbilt's All-American shortstop, scooped a ground ball up the middle and tried to make a spinning throw to first base. But his toss went wide, and Keaton Jones, the TCU hitter, advanced to second on the error.

But Pfeifer and the Vanderbilt defense recovered again for a popout, strikeout and groundout to keep TCU off the board.

Pfeifer finished with a four-hitter over seven shutout innings. He struck out seven and stranded seven TCU runners on base. The junior was not on last year's national title team because of admitted substance abuse, but he pitched the Commodores to a Super Regional win over Illinois a week ago to punch the team's second straight College World Series ticket.

"(The College World Series) has lived up to expectations so far," Pfeifer said. "I was just trying to soak up every minute of it."

Freshman Kyle Wright, who earned the win on Monday in two-thirds of an inning of relief, finished off the last two innings against TCU for the save.

Similar to its 4-3 comeback win over Cal State Fullerton on Monday, Vanderbilt had little offense until the late innings.

The Commodores loaded the bases in the third inning but got no runs.

Jeren Kendall struck out swinging but reached first base on a passed ball. Catcher Karl Ellison's sacrifice bunt attempt put another runner on when Young made an errant throw to first base. And then Ro Coleman walked to load the bases with one out and a pair of the team's top hitters coming up.

But Rhett Wiseman, a third-round draft pick, and Swanson, the No. 1 overall pick, both struck out swinging to end the inning and a prime scoring opportunity.

Young was unflappable for the next three innings, striking out Wiel and Will Toffey for the second time each in the fourth. Then he fanned Kendall a second time and Ellison for the first time in the fifth.

Coleman's second strikeout came in the sixth, and Young looked to be cruising when Wiel turned on the 2-1 pitch in the seventh to end the no-hitter and shutout.

Reach Adam Sparks at 615-259-8010 and on Twitter @AdamSparks.

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

VANDERBILT (49-19) vs. TCU/LSU winner

Where: Omaha, Neb.

When: 7 p.m. Friday

TV/radio: ESPN/560-AM, 95.9-FM