May 31, 2009

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Cotham Throws Shutout for Vanderbilt vs. MTSU

By Jimmy Jones

Special to CollegeBaseballInsider.com
 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Junior right-hander Caleb Cotham (right) picked a great time to throw the first-ever complete game shutout for the Vanderbilt Commodores in 28 NCAA appearances in a 6-0 win over Middle Tennessee (44-18).
 
It was the first time in 62 games that the potent Blue Raider offense has failed to score a run. The loss concludes the most successful season in school history.
 
"This was a very important game obviously, an elimination game," said Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin. "The performance we got from Caleb was nothing short of outstanding. I told him he needed to be Lance Armstrong on a bike in preparation for this heat, but he went out there and pitched against a very good hitting team and kept it down."
 

"I didn't feel my fastball was there early," said Cotham. "My offspeed stuff was OK and as the game went on, my fastball and slider started to get better and that really helped me out.
 
"Throughout the game I was able to throw a decent changeup and keep the ball down, and that helped out."
 
SEC regular-season batting champion Aaron Westlake (left) continued his power surge with a second-inning home run, his ninth, to give the Commodores a 1-0 lead. Westlake finished with six home runs for the month.
 
VU (36-26) added a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Steven Liddle and then broke the game open in the eighth with the big blow being a screaming line drive over the right field fence with a runner aboard by Jonathan White to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.
 
Andrew Giobbi and Jason Esposito capped the scoring with RBI hits in the inning.
 
Cotham (7-5) allowed just four hits and struck out eight batters with no walks in a career-high nine innings of work. It was the second consecutive shutout thrown by the Commodores in the tournament.

Edwards (8-2) took the loss for MTSU, allowing two runs on three hits in 5.2 innings with two strikeouts and a walk.

(photos by Jimmy Jones)