Wright State's Alex Sogard disputes Vanderbilt go-ahead home run: 'I did not agree with the explanation'

In the eighth inning of Friday’s Nashville Regional matchup, Vanderbilt’s Riley Nelson launched a 429-foot home run to right field. Initially, the umpires ruled it foul, but they changed the call to a fair ball after a conference and subsequent Wright State replay review.

It was a key moment in the game as the Commodores took a 4-3 lead. However, Wright State coach Alex Sogard said he didn’t necessarily agree with the explanation he received.

Sogard didn’t dive too far into what the umpires said, noting the need to avoid a situation in which they have to make a critical call. That said, he thought it was a foul ball despite the overturned call on the field and review.

“Our dugout, it’s kind of a tough angle from the side,” Sogard said in his postgame press conference. “I think everything to right field seems foul. So I didn’t have the best angle. Obviously, he hit it well. I thought it was a tough one to overturn. I did not agree with the explanation, but I don’t want to get into that too much. If you leave it in the umpires’ hands, it’s tough.

“That was a pitch – we were trying to kind of work around that lefty. So it wasn’t a pitch we were trying to throw over the plate. Sometimes, you make a mistake in baseball and they capitalize. Obviously, it’s a tough one. I didn’t agree, but us coaches don’t always agree with the umpires, and that happens. That’s part of it.”

Nelson’s home run proved to be the difference in Friday’s game as Vanderbilt came away with the 4-3 victory. That sent the Commodores into the winners’ bracket, but it wasn’t an easy path to get there.

Wright State pitcher Cam Allen threw six no-hit innings to start the matchup, needing 76 pitches to go so. However, Sogard pulled him ahead of the seventh inning, and the ESPN+ announcers questioned that decision. Warren Hartzell came in to relieve him, and his third pitch went over the fence as Vanderbilt got not only its first hit, but its first run on a Brodie Johnston solo home run.

The Commodores then got another run on a solo shot from Mike Mancini to cut the deficit to 3-2 in the eighth inning. Nelson then came to the plate with RJ Austin on first base, and his moonshot to right field put Vanderbilt out in front for good.