COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 20 Vanderbilt pounded out 16 hits to match the team’s best in league play en route to an 8-3 win at Missouri at Friday night.
The Commodores (34-12, 12-10) fell behind early but took the lead with a three-run sixth inning. Vince Conde led off the frame with a single and moved to second on John Norwood’s sacrifice bunt. Trailing by a run, Rhett Wiseman lined a 0-2 pitch into left-center field for a double to tie the game. Jason Delay immediately followed, ripping a single up the middle to score Wiseman and give the Dores their first lead of the night. Vandy caught a break to add the third run of the inning when Xavier Turner was picked off first base, but the sophomore avoided the tag long enough to score Delay from third base.
Given the lead, starter Tyler Beede went back out to start the sixth but hit leadoff hitter Ryan Howard in the head to open the inning. Walker Buehler took over for Beede and promptly struck out the first batter he faced then forced a double play to end the inning. Buehler turned in two more scoreless innings, working around a two-out jam in the seventh inning with another strikeout. Brian Miller worked the ninth to finish off the Commodores’ fifth straight win.
Dansby Swanson spearheaded another three-run rally for the Commodores in the eighth that put the game away. Swanson followed Delay’s double with a RBI-triple into the right-center field gap that rolled all the way to the wall then scored on a wild pitch. Bryan Reynolds capped the rally with a solo shot over the left-center field wall; his team-best fourth home run of the season.
All nine Commodores in the lineup collected at least one hit in the win led by Reynolds and Delay, who had three-hit games. Delay’s three hits set a new career-best for the freshman. Nolan Rogers, Wiseman and Swanson added two hits apiece. The Dores’ 16 hits matched the team’s season-best in Southeastern Conference play, set against Kentucky on March 29. Howard led Mizzou (20-25, 6-16) with two hits and one RBI.
Beede earned the win with five-plus innings allowing three runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts. The right-hander minimized the damage in the third inning when the Tigers mounted a two-out rally keeping VU in the game. A wild pitch scored the first run before Howard’s double to left made it 3-1. Beede then struck out Brett Peel to end the inning and the threat. Buehler and Miller combined for four scoreless innings to preserve Beede’s seventh win of the year.
Vanderbilt and Missouri resume the series tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Taylor Stadium with Carson Fulmer getting the ball for the Commodores against Tigers’ right-hander John Miles.
