Rocker saves Vandy’s 12 months with no-hitter, 19 Okay’s
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin nervous when Kumar Rocker got here off the mound after a primary inning when the freshman pitcher hit Duke middle fielder Kennie Taylor with a pitch close to the left eye.
Taylor returned to the Duke dugout after a visit to a hospital for exams.
Rocker settled down and pitched the eighth no-hitter in NCAA event historical past hanging out a career-high 19 as Vanderbilt beat Duke Three-Zero on Saturday night time to power the Nashville Tremendous Regional to a deciding third sport.
Corbin referred to as Rocker’s response after hitting Taylor the pivotal second, one thing most gamers cannot rebound from throughout a sport. Corbin stated he was glad to see Taylor was OK.
“For Kumar, when he got here off the sphere you might inform he was a bit bit shaken,” Corbin stated. “When he is available in, he slams my hand each time. He is available in, and he did not. I used to be pondering I hope he can get via that second and he did.”
Rocker tied his earlier profession finest via 5 innings with 10 strikeouts, and he retired 13 of 15 Duke batters throwing 99 mph within the first inning and 97 mph within the ninth. He struck out 4 within the fifth with one of many batters he struck out reaching first base on a 3rd strike wild pitch. Rocker walked solely two and threw 131 pitches with 89 of these being strikes.
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Pitcher Kumar Rocker describes his feelings after throwing Vanderbilt’s first particular person no-hitter since 1971.
“Each time we acquired that one run, I used to be like ‘All proper. I acquired to go shut ’em down so like we are able to maintain this sport rolling, we are able to get out of right here with a win,”’ Rocker stated. “Obtained previous that inning, and I simply stored rolling from there.”
Rocker (10-5) had not thrown greater than 105 pitches in a sport, however Corbin stated the 6-foot-Four, 255-pound pitcher deserved to complete. Rocker struck out the facet swinging within the backside of the ninth. He walked off the mound and bumped fists with catcher Philip Clarke earlier than being mobbed by teammates.
“The eighth [inning] was the one I needed to recover from,” Rocker stated. “The ninth got here. I stated ‘I am right here, I’d as effectively do it.”’
Stated Clarke: “I’ve the perfect view of Kumar pitching in the entire park, so simply strive to not take that with no consideration, simply attempt to work with him and assist him get no matter he wants to achieve that milestone. It is fairly superior.”
It was the primary no-hitter within the NCAA event since Florida’s Jonathon Crawford blanked Bethune-Cookman on June 1, 2012, and the primary for the reason that tremendous regional spherical was instituted in 1999. It additionally was the primary no-hitter by a Vandy pitcher since Doug Wessel did it to Belmont on April 19, 1971.
Rocker additionally set a faculty file for strikeouts in an NCAA event sport, topping David Worth’s 17 towards Austin Peay on June 1, 2007. Worth, now with the Boston Purple Sox, famous Rocker was attempting to maintain the Commodores’ season alive.
Wow with a loss tonight @VandyBoys season is over… @_KumarRocker determined he would throw a no hitter and punch out 19!!! To have the ability to step up that method as a freshmen is inspiring!!! I tip my hat to you sir!! 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽
— David Worth (@DAVIDprice24) June 9, 2019
Now Vanderbilt (53-11) will play Duke on Sunday because it tries to achieve its fourth Faculty World Sequence and first since 2015. Duke (35-26) hasn’t been to the CWS since 1961.
“Candidly, Kumar Rocker was simply higher than us tonight,” Duke coach Chris Pollard stated.
Taylor went down within the first inning after being hit and the sellout crowd was silent whereas trainers handled him. Followers gave Taylor a standing ovation when he sat up, then stayed silent till he stood up and walked off the sphere. Taylor was again within the dugout icing the left facet of his face by the eighth inning.
“We acquired a superb report,” Pollard stated.
Damon Lux changed him as a runner, and Rocker struck out Matt Mervis with Clarke throwing out Lux at second.
Bryce Jarvis, MVP of the Morgantown Regional after hanging out 11 for Duke, grew up a Vanderbilt fan in Franklin, Tennessee, south of Nashville. Jarvis (5-2) struck out 9 via seven innings.
With two out within the fifth, Ethan Paul singled, stole second after which superior to 3rd on a wild pitch by Jarvis. He scored when Clarke poked a single into proper discipline for the one run Rocker wanted. Pat DeMarco thought he had a two-run dwelling run to observe solely to be robbed by Lux with an excellent catch on the wall.
Rocker struck out the facet within the fifth, although Ethan Murray reached base on a pitch Clarke could not deal with. That additionally set a Vanderbilt file for many strikeouts in a brilliant regional sport, topping Carson Fulmer’s 9 towards Stanford in 2014.
Vanderbilt scored two runs within the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Stephen Scott and a squeeze bunt by Julian Infante.
Info from The Related Press was used on this report.