OT: CWS - Did anyone see the end of that Stanford Vanderbilt game?

Submitted by Wendyk5 on June 24th, 2021 at 7:41 AM

Stanford was handling Vanderbilt through most of the game but by the 8th, Vanderbilt started climbing back in. In the 9th, Stanford was still up 5-4. Stanford's ace pitcher was starting to get gassed after only three days rest and in the Omaha heat, was about as sweaty as a guy can get. After a run came in to tie it, a throwing error by the shortstop put guys on first and third, and with 2 outs, the pitcher throws a wild one over the catcher's head (probably slipped out of his sweaty hand) and the guy on third scores to win the game, eliminating Stanford. Heartbreaker. 

GoBlue1530

June 24th, 2021 at 9:36 AM ^

Stanford's closer was cruising and had retired eight straight needing one last out that never came, even needing just one strike in a 1-2 count of a man he walked. Then chaos ensued. Brutal. 

lhglrkwg

June 24th, 2021 at 10:21 AM ^

I feel for the Stanford pitcher. Tough to end your season on a wild pitch, but it was obviously something of a team collapse that got them to that point

MGoStrength

June 24th, 2021 at 12:40 PM ^

I only buy live sports streaming channels during football season, but miss seeing the CWS. Who's the favorite this year?

wolfman81

June 24th, 2021 at 4:28 PM ^

Texas is the top ranked team to make the CWS. That being said, they lost a close one to Mississippi State, who's currently in the driver's seat in that bracket.

Vanderbilt probably has the two best pitchers in (NCAA) baseball right now.  (Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter [son of Al Leiter for all the old guys like me who remember that name] are both projected to be drafted in the top 5 of the next MLB draft.)  That being said, they (Vandy) will have to go 2-0 vs. NC State to get to the championship series.

ANNOUNCER RANT:  So I keep hearing announcers saying things like, "The first game in a 3 game series is SO IMPORTANT because they win the series 77% of the time!"  And I go..."so the teams are (about) evenly matched because math."

Most of these games are on ESPN/ESPN2, so have at it!

EJG

June 24th, 2021 at 2:12 PM ^

Two out walk, plus error, plus wild pitch equals three strikes and you are out.  Nice little melt-down, but that is very typical of tournament baseball.

MGoAragorn

June 24th, 2021 at 9:31 PM ^

The pitcher ballooned a curveball to an earlier batter in the 9th. Should not have tried that again.

The real tragedy is that Stanford left the bases loaded twice earlier in the game.