COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Vanderbilt bullpen was called on early in Sunday’s game at Missouri and responded to finish the sweep of the Tigers with a 3-1 win at Taylor Stadium.
The No. 20 Commodores (36-12, 14-10) fired out of the gate with leadoff hitter Dansby Swanson hitting the first pitch of the game into the left field corner for a double. Xavier Turner’s sacrifice bunt moved Swanson to third and Bryan Reynolds’ groundout to second made it a 1-0 game in the first. Turner’s double off the left field wall in the third inning drove in two runs to stretch the Vandy lead to three.
Vanderbilt starter Tyler Ferguson cruised through the first three innings allowing only two base runners. But the sophomore lost control in the fourth after striking out the leadoff hitter. Ferguson walked the next two hitters and struck out Kendall Keeton for the second out. The right-hander, however, went wild again, walking Josh Lester to load the bases and finish his day with two outs in the fourth. Adam Ravenelle was brought into face the bases loaded jam but his first four pitches eluded the strike zone to force in a run. Ravenelle rebounded to get the next batter and end the Tigers’ only threat of the day.
Ravenelle retired seven straight until starting the seventh inning with a walk. The Dores’ defense picked him up with the team’s second double play of the day. The junior worked 3.1 innings to earn his third win of the season. Brian Miller worked a perfect eighth inning and worked around a leadoff double in the ninth to notch his fifth save of the season and extend his school record to 26 career saves. The Vandy bullpen combined for 12.1 innings over the weekend allowing only one unearned run.
Turner led the way for the Commodores with two hits and two RBI in the win with Vince Conde chipping in two hits as well. Dylan Kelly had two of Mizzou’s four hits on the day.
The series sweep is the second straight for the Dores and sixth of the season as the team has won seven straight games. The road sweep in league play is the first for the Commodores since the team swept Kentucky at the end of last season to clinch the Southeastern Conference title.
Vanderbilt returns home to host No. 13 Louisville in the Battle of the Barrel on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m.
