NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt used 11 hits and a strong performance from the pitching staff to run-rule Valparaiso 12-0 in seven innings Tuesday at Hawkins Field.
Vandy used seven arms in the win, combining to hold the Beacons to three hits while striking out 11. Connor Fennell, Matthew Shorey, Levi Huesman, England Bryan and Tommy O’Rourke did not allow a hit over the final 4.0 innings.
The Dores scored in each of the first four innings and plated two more in the sixth. Vandy took advantage of five Valpo errors and drew five walks at the plate to complement the 11-hit performance.
Colin Barczi went 2-for-3 and scored three times. Riley Nelson went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and scored twice.
Mac Rose opened the scoring with a sac fly to bring home Nelson in the bottom of the first. Barczi added an RBI double to score Brodie Johnston to make it 2-0.
Jacob Humphrey walked to lead off the bottom of the second, advanced to second and third on groundouts and scored on a wild pitch. RJ Austin singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored from second on a single by Nelson to the second baseman.
Johnston then dropped an RBI double down the line in left to score Nelson and give Vandy a 5-0 advantage.
The Commodores stretched their lead in the bottom of the third with four more runs on three hits and four errors. Mike Mancini picked up an RBI with a single to center and David Mendez scored Mancini on a groundout. A sac fly off the bat of Austin brought home another run and Nelson clubbed his third hit of the day, and RBI single up the middle to plate Mendez.
Barczi reached on an error in the bottom of the fourth and came around to score on a wild pitch to give Vandy a 10-run lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, Chris Maldonado led things off with a walk. Jayden Davis singled to left after a walk to Barczi to load the bases. Ryker Waite then earned his first collegiate RBI with a bases-loaded walk. JD Rogers hit a sac fly for his second RBI on the season, extending Vandy’s lead to 12-0.
Vanderbilt improves to 14-3 on the year and 11-0 at home. The Dores have held their opponents to five total runs over the last five games including back-to-back shutouts Tuesday vs. Valparaiso and Sunday vs. Xavier.
The Commodores head to Auburn this weekend for a three-game series to kickoff SEC action.
