NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt shut out Tennessee Tech 6-0 Tuesday night at Hawkins Field behind a pair of solid pitching performances.
Sam Selman (1-3) earned his first collegiate win matching a career-best with five innings pitched. The lefty also matched a career-high with seven strikeouts, fanning at least one batter in each of his five frames. Tennessee Tech (9-15) put the lead off man aboard in the second inning but Selman rebounded to strike out two batters and get a groundout to end the inning. In the fifth the Golden Eagles again put the leadoff man on base but Selman worked out of the jam to finish his night. Brian Miller entered in the sixth inning and worked four scoreless innings to finish off Vanderbilt’s (10-15) third shutout victory of the season. The right-hander allowed two hits over his four innings to notch his first career save and the Dores’ first of the season.
The Commodores claimed an early lead in the second inning with two runs. Joel McKeithan drove in the first run of the game with his first single of the night and came around to score on Anthony Gomez’s base hit. Vanderbilt blew the game open in the seventh sending nine men to the plate and scoring four runs. McKeithan led off with his third single of the night and crossed the plate when Conrad Gregor delivered a two-run, bases loaded single to right field. Chris Harvey’s grounder and Vince Conde’s bases loaded walk capped the rally and stretched the lead to six runs.
McKeithan led the way with a career-best four hits, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. Gregor added two hits and two RBI in the win. Zach Stephens led the Eagles with two of the squad’s four hits. Tennessee Tech starter Garrett Baugh (1-2) took the loss allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits over four innings.
Vanderbilt hosts tenth-ranked South Carolina this weekend at Hawkins Field. The Commodores and Gamecocks are scheduled to play Friday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. on CSS and Sunday at 1 p.m.
