KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 7 Vanderbilt climbed out of an early three-run hole to win the series opener at Tennessee 6-4 Friday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Volunteers (19-9, 3-7) jumped on Commodores’ (25-6, 6-4) starter Tyler Beede for three runs in the first inning. Beede allowed a two-out single on a 0-2 pitch to Christin Stewart, then loaded the bases with a single and a hit batter. Taylor Smart made Beede pay with a bases clearing double and a three-run lead for the home team.
Fortunately, for the Commodores it was early in the game and the second time around the lineup proved to be profitable. Xavier Turner doubled with one out to extend his hitting streak to 18 games. Dansby Swanson then pushed his hitting streak to 12 games with a single to center to score Turner and get the Dores on the board. After a Bryan Reynolds single, the freshman and Swanson stole second and third base to put the tying runs in scoring position for Vince Conde. The junior continued his tear through Southeastern Conference games with a two-run double to even the game 3-3.
The Dores moved in front in the fifth when Jason Delay led off the inning with a double, his second of the game, and moved to third on a passed ball. Rhett Wiseman ripped a double into the left field corner to drive in the run and swapped spots with Turner, who collected his second double of the game and sixth of the night for Vandy. Nolan Rogers added an insurance run in the sixth, driving in a run on a double play ball.
Given the lead, Beede settled in and cruised through a career-best eight innings to earn the win. After a two-out single in the second inning the right-hander did not allow another hit until the sixth when Smart struck again, this time with a solo home run with two outs. Beede bounced back to retire the next six batters and finished off the eighth with a pair strikeouts and a groundout. The junior allowed four runs on five hits with six strikeouts to pick up his fifth win. Carson Fulmer finished off the win with his ninth save, working a perfect frame in the ninth.
Six different Commodores contributed at least one hit in the win with Turner, Conde and Delay all recording two-hit games. The Dores pushed their league-best doubles total to 73 for the season. Smart led Tennessee driving in all four runs and picking up two of the team’s five hits.
Volunteers’ starter Nick Williams was pegged with the loss allowing five runs on eight hits over 4.1 innings.
The two teams resume the series tomorrow at 6 p.m. CT on CSS. Left-hander Jared Miller gets the ball for the Commodores against right-hander Hunter Martin for Tennessee.
