PALO ALTO, Calif. – Third-ranked Stanford topped Vanderbilt 9-5 Saturday afternoon at Sunken Diamond in Palo Alto, Calif. to claim the series.
The 10th-ranked Commodores defense failed in the loss, committing four errors on the day. The team’s first error came in the first inning and cost the Dores a run with two outs. Anthony Gomez misplayed a ground ball that allowed Stephen Piscotty to score for an early Cardinal lead. Vandy bounced back to tie the game in the third inning with Chris Harvey driving in a run on a double play. But for the second straight day the third inning doomed the Dores as the Cardinal scored four runs on three hits and two VU errors sending eight men to the plate. RBI-singles from Brian Ragira and Kenny Diekroeger contributed to the rally. Stanford added a run in the fourth and chased Vanderbilt starter Tyler Beede in the fifth scoring three more runs to make the score 9-1 after five frames. For the second straight game Ragira led the Cardinal with three hits with Eric Smith knocking in two runs.
Vanderbilt made the game interesting down the stretch thanks to Connor Harrell’s two, two-run home runs. Harrell launched his first round tripper of the season in the sixth inning with a mammoth shot over the left field fence. He added another two-run shot in the eighth with a towering home run to left-center field to bring the Commodores within 9-5. Anthony Gomez added three hits and Mike Yastrzmeksi scored twice and went 2-for-3.
Stanford starter Brett Mooneyham picked up the win, working six innings and allowing three runs on five hits with eight strikeouts. Beede took the loss in his VU debut, giving up nine runs, five earned, on nine hits over 4.1 innings. Freshman Philip Pfeifer made his collegiate debut recording two outs and walking two. Steven Rice worked a career-best two scoreless innings.
The Commodores wrap up the opening weekend series at Stanford tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. CT. Junior Sam Selman gets the nod for Vanderbilt against sophomore right-hander A.J. Vanegas.
