NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt used a seven-run fourth inning en route to a 12-4 win over No. 10 South Carolina Saturday at Hawkins Field.
Mike Yastrzemski’s double to lead off the bottom of the fourth ignited the Commodores’ (11-16, 3-5) seven-run inning. Spencer Navin’s single scored Yastrzemski for the first run of the game. After a pair of walks loaded the bases and chased South Carolina (19-8, 2-6) starter Evan Beal. Riley Reynolds greeted Gamecocks’ reliever Forrest Koumas with a two-run single and Jack Lupo followed up with a run-scoring single of his own to make it 4-0. Tony Kemp’s bunt single plated another run before Anthony Gomez’s single made it 6-0. Conrad Gregor capped the rally with a single up the middle that stretched the lead to seven runs for Vanderbilt starter Tyler Beede.
Beede (1-3) was lights out over a career-high six-plus innings to earn his first collegiate win. The freshman right-hander fanned seven while allowing one run on five hits and one walk. He struck out four of the seven batters he faced and allowed only two base runners in his first five frames. The freshman pitched himself into a jam in the sixth, loading the bases with no outs before recovering to retire the next three batters and keep the Gamecocks off the scoreboard. South Carolina finally chased the right-hander in the seventh with a pair of hits to open the frame. Fellow freshman Brian Miller worked the final three innings for his second save of the season.
The Vanderbilt offense matched season-highs with 16 hits on the day and seven runs in the fourth inning. The offense saw 11 different Commodores collect at least one hit on the afternoon. Reynolds and Kemp each had two hits and two RBI with Reynolds scoring two runs. Vince Conde and Jack Lupo each added two hits while Connor Harrell scored three of the team’s 12 runs. Connor Castellano blasted his first career home run in the eighth inning with a solo shot over the right field bleachers. Tanner English paced South Carolina with two hits. Beal (1-3) took the loss allowing four runs on four hits and three walks over 3.1 innings.
The Commodores’ win sets up a rubber match tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Hawkins Field. Vanderbilt sends right-hander Will Clinard (2-1) to the hill to face South Carolina’s Colby Holmes (3-0).
