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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ryan Flaherty had three hits and five Vanderbilt pitchers combined to hold Austin Peay to a run on seven hits in an 8-1 win Wednesday night at Hawkins Field.
The Commodores improved to 21-10 on the season, while the Governors fell to 15-15.
“I thought we pitched pretty well,” said Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin. “I told the team after the game that giving up two runs after 18 innings over the last two nights was quality work. Offensively we were better tonight. We scored in six innings and I thought we had more life and bounce in our step.”
David Macias led off the first with a single and scored on a RBI grounder by Pedro Alvarez to take a 1-0 lead. Macias added a sacrifice fly RBI in the second to make it 2-0.
Ryan Flaherty led off the third with a solo homer to right, his sixth of the year to push the advantage to 3-0.
“I was excited to come out and try and keep this win streak going and get a couple of hits,” said Flaherty. “When you win you have fun and if you have fun it takes care of everything else.”
Chase Reid (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings to start the game and was relieved by Jason Cunningham who continued the shutout for two more innings. Cunningham got into trouble in the top of the fifth giving up two hits and left the game with runners on the corners and no outs. Drew Hayes came on in relief and got out of the jam to preserve the shutout.
Andrew Giobbi’s two-run double in the fifth extended the lead to 5-0. Ryan Flaherty singled with one out and moved to third on a double to left by Dominic de la Osa. Steven Liddle was intentionally walked before Giobbi doubled down the right field line off of reliever David Vicini.
Greg Bachman’s RBI single in the sixth broke up the shutout to make it 5-1.
VU plated two more runs in the sixth to build the lead up to 7-1. Brad French was hit by a pitch and Pedro Alvarez doubled him in for the first run. Flaherty brought Alvarez home with a single to left.
The Dores added a run in the seventh when Jordan Wormsley singled, moved to third on a single by Brian Harris and scored on a RBI squeeze bunt by Brad French.
Jeff Lykins (0-2) was charged with the loss after giving up five runs, four earned, on six hits in 4.1 innings with three strikeouts and three walks.
Sean Bierman pitched two scoreless innings after Hayes and Mark Lamm closed it out with a scoreless ninth.
Vanderbilt will hit the road for the second straight weekend as the team heads south to face Mississippi State. The Commodores and Bulldogs will face off on Friday at 6:30 p.m., at 2 p.m. on Saturday and at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Austin Peay 000 001 000 -1 7 3
Vanderbilt 111 022 10x -8 12 0
Lykins, Vicini (5), Huff (6), Stoermer (7), Tenholder (8) and Upton. Reid, Cunningham (3), Hayes (5), Bierman (7), Lamm (9) and Giobbi. W- Reid 3-0, L- Lykins 0-2. Sv- None. HR: VU: Flaherty (6).
