High Point eliminates Vanderbilt from NCAA Baseball Tournament on walk-off single

At one point, Vanderbilt was in the driver’s seat of Saturday’s NCAA Baseball Tournament elimination game against High Point. The Commodores had a 5-0 lead entering the sixth inning of the Clemson Regional matchup, hoping to keep their season alive.

Then, the Panthers woke up – and pulled off the comeback victory, capped by a walk-off single to seal the 10-9 upset. As a result, Vanderbilt is heading home.

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THE HERO 👏

Miggy Echazarreta walks off Vanderbilt to give @HPUBaseball the 10-9 win!@NCAABaseball x #RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/q3oMwgE619

— Big South Conference (@BigSouthSports) June 1, 2024

Vanderbilt took control early against High Point with an early 5-0 lead, including a solo home run from Colin Barczi. But the Panthers didn’t back down, scoring five runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie things up and start the back-and-forth affair.

Things then got worse for the Commodores in the seventh when High Point put up a four-spot in the seventh inning thanks to two two-run singles. That made it a 9-5 Panthers lead as Vanderbilt’s backs were pushed squarely against the wall.

But VU bounced back in the eighth with four runs of its own to bring it back to a 9-9 ball game. That score held into the bottom of the ninth when Miggy Echazarreta knocked in the winning run with a walk-off single. It not only gave High Point its first-ever NCAA Tournament win, but also meant Vanderbilt’s season officially came to an end.

RJ Austin had a huge day for Vanderbilt, going 5-for-5 in the leadoff spot while adding three RBI – including two in the eighth inning to help get the Commodores back into it. Bryce Cunningham looked strong on the mound early for Vanderbilt, but wound up allowing four runs in his 5.1 innings of work before taking the no-decision.

The Commodores headed to the losers bracket Friday night after a 13-3 loss to Coastal Carolina in the Clemson Regional. With Saturday’s loss, VU finishes with a 38-23 overall record, including a 13-17 mark in SEC play.

Vanderbilt was one of 11 SEC teams to make the NCAA Tournament this year, but is now the first to see its season end. High Point, meanwhile, will now move on to play Sunday as it moves through the losers bracket. The Panthers will take on the loser of the Clemson vs. Coastal Carolina game, which immediately followed the first game of the day.