NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt beat Xavier 11-1 in eight innings Tuesday at Hawkins Field.
Jacob Faulkner made the start for Vandy and went a season-high 4.1 innings, holding the Musketeers to just one run on three hits.
Tommy Goodin went 3-for-4 with five RBI. Braden Holcomb went 4-for-5 and scored three times and Brodie Johnston also scored three times. Rustan Rigdon went 2-for-3 with the game-ending RBI and added a pair of walks.
Xavier’s Clay Burdette opened the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the first, his 13th of the season.
The Commodores answered in the home half with back-to-back singles from Johnston and Holcomb. Goodin then blasted his ninth home run of the season, a three-run shot to put Vanderbilt in front.
Johnston reached again in the bottom of the third and moved to third on a single by Holcomb. Goodin brought Johnston home with a sac fly to make it a 4-1 game.
Goodin tallied his fifth RBI with an RBI single in the fifth after a leadoff double by Holcomb. Another single and a walk loaded the bases with Ryker Waite at the dish. Waite ripped a line drive over the wall in right for his fifth homer of the season and Vanderbilt’s seventh grand slam.
An error in the eighth allowed Johnston to reach second. He came around to score on a single by Holcomb as the Dores went ahead 10-1.
Goodin knocked a double to put runners on second and third and Rustan Rigdon ended the game on a single off the first baseman’s glove as Holcomb touched home to give Vanderbilt the 11-1 win.
Nate Schlote relieved Faulkner in the fifth and tossed 1.1 scoreless frames. Jakob Schulz threw the final 2.1 innings, keeping Xavier off the board while striking out three.
Vanderbilt (25-17, 9-9 SEC) is back at home Friday as a three-game showdown with No. 4 Texas (30-8, 11-6 SEC) gets underway.
