June 2, 2006
NCAA ATLANTA REGIONAL
GAME 1 – #2 VANDERBILT vs. #3 MICHIGAN
RUSS CHANDLER STADIUM
ATLANTA – Right-handed pitcher Matt Buschmann (6-4) tossed a complete game, his second of the season, and Pedro Alvarez homered (20) to lead No. 2 seed Vanderbilt (37-25) past No. 3 seed Michigan (42-20), 5-2, in the opening game of the NCAA Atlanta Baseball Regional on Friday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The Commodores advance to the winner’s bracket of the Atlanta Regional and will face the winner of top-seeded Georgia Tech and No. 4 seed Stetson.
The Wolverines’ A.J. Scheidt led all hitters on the day, going 2-for-4, with two runs batted in. VU’s Brian Hernandez and Ryan Davis each hit two-run home runs to pace the Commodore bats.
UM’s Zach Putnam (6-2) was tagged for the loss, leaving the game after 1.2 innings due to an injury, allowing two hits, three runs, three earned runs, walking four and fanned one. Left-handed pitcher Drew Taylor worked the final 6.1 innings, scattering four hits, two runs, two earned runs and struck out four.
Vandy opened scoring in the bottom of the first inning, taking advantage of back-to-back walks, a sacrifice bunt and catcher Hernandez drove in center fielder David Macias to give the Commodores a 1-0 lead.
The Wolverines responded in the top of the second inning as third baseman Scheidt singled with the bases loaded to plate Adam Abraham as the game moved to bottom half of the second inning tied at 1-1.
VU tacked on two runs in the bottom half of the second inning courtesy of a two-run shot by right fielder Davis as the Commodores regained the lead 3-1.
UM’s Scheidt drove in his second run of the game in the top of the fourth inning on a two-out double down the right field line to score Abraham who reached on a leadoff walk as the Wolverines trailed by one, 3-2.
The Commodores extended their lead to three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on home runs by Hernandez, a two-run shot, and a solo shot by third baseman Alvarez, his school record 20th of the season, to close out the scoring in the game.
NOTES: Vandy’s Pedro Alvarez broke the single-season school record with his 20th homer of the year … Alvarez extends current hitting-streak to eight games … UM’s A.J. Scheidt has 198 career hits, 40 career doubles and recorded his 63rd career multi-hit game … UM’s Adam Abraham extends hitting streak to seven games, Jeff Kunkel extends his to six games … UM’s LHP Drew Taylor has 126 career strikeouts, including five while at Georgia Tech.
