COLUMBIA, Mo. – Five runs in the third inning was enough for No. 20 Vanderbilt to top Missouri 5-1 Saturday afternoon and clinch the series.
The Commodores (35-12, 13-10) had gone six up and six down through the first two innings but John Norwood changed that with a single to lead off the third inning. The junior stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. After a walk to Rhett Wiseman, Jason Delay singled through the left side of the Missouri (20-26, 6-17) infield to give Vandy the lead. Tigers’ catcher Dylan Kelly looked to have Wiseman forced out at third on a sacrifice attempt from Dansby Swanson, but Kelly’s throw sailed high into left field allowing Wiseman to score for a 2-0 VU lead. With two outs in the inning and two Commodores in scoring position, Zander Wiel lifted a fly ball into deep left-center field that Mizzou center fielder Jake Ring could not track down. Wiel’s fly ball landed on the warning track for a two-run triple. Wiel later trotted home on a balk to cap the five-run rally.
The Tigers tried to claw back in the game in the bottom of the third against Vanderbilt starter Carson Fulmer when the first two batters reached base on a walk and a single. But Fulmer responded with his first two strikeouts of the day along with a ground ball to third to end the threat. The Tigers did not threaten again until the sixth when a one-out walk was followed by a Ryan Howard double to left field. The relay from Bryan Reynolds to Vince Conde to Delay was just in time to nail the runner at the plate and keep the Tigers off the scoreboard.
Fulmer’s day came to an end after the sixth but not before the right-hander extended his scoreless streak to 19 innings. He has yet to allow a run in his three starts this season and has not faced more than four batters in an inning in each of his last two starts (13.0 IP). Fulmer scattered four hits with three walks and three strikeouts to pick up his third win. Hayden Stone turned in three solid innings out of the pen to notch his second save of the year. The freshman punched out five and allowed three hits. An error in the ninth allowed the only Missouri run of the day.
Norwood led the way for the Dores with three hits, including two doubles and two stolen bases. Wiel drove in two runs and Delay drove in a run for the fourth time in his last five games.
The series victory is the second straight for the Commodores and eighth of the season. The Dores’ six-game winning streak is the team’s longest since winning a season-best nine in a row in early March.
Vanderbilt wraps up the series at Missouri tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Taylor Stadium. Tyler Ferguson gets the nod for the Dores in the finale against Mizzou right-hander Keaton Steele.
