NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No. 9 Vanderbilt finished off a three-game sweep of No. 18 Auburn with a come-from-behind 9-6 victory Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Field.
The Dores trailed by as many as four runs Sunday before Jayden Davis put the Commodores in front with a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth.
The go-ahead‼️
Double by Davis will give the #VandyBoys our first lead of the day. pic.twitter.com/S4kD8HNja3
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) March 17, 2024
Jonathan Vastine went 4-for-5 with a double and three RBI. The Dores finished with 17 hits for the second consecutive game.
Greysen Carter (W, 2-0) allowed one run over three innings of relief and struck out four. Ryan Ginther (S, 3) closed things out in the ninth as Vanderbilt (18-3) pushed its win streak to 13 games.
Auburn scored first in all three games of the series, plating one run in the top of the first on Sunday with an RBI single by Cooper McMurray.
The Tigers went in front by four with three more runs on four hits in the top of the second.
Vanderbilt entered the scoring column with three consecutive two-out singles in the bottom of the second. Matthew Polk singled to right and Calvin Hewett reached on an infield hit before Vastine brought home Polk with a single to center. After an error loaded the bases, Davis Diaz worked a walk to cut Auburn’s lead to 4-2.
The Dores cut the Tigers’ lead down to one on a passed ball in the bottom of the fourth. RJ Austin reached on a single and moved to third on a single by Diaz before touching home on the passed ball.
Auburn’s McMurray struck again in the top of the fifth with a solo homer to put the Tigers on top 5-3.
Vandy loaded the bases again in the bottom of the fifth and scored a run on a hit-by-pitch.
The big hit came in the bottom of the sixth as Vanderbilt looked to takes its first lead of the game. Trailing 5-4, LaNeve singled to put two on with one out. An error allowed both runners to move up a base with Laneve representing the tying run on second. Davis then gapped a line drive to left-center to bring home both runners and give Vandy a 6-5 advantage.
After Hewett was hit by a pitch with two outs, Vastine roped another two-run double to score Davis and Hewett and put the Dores up 8-5.
YES. YES. YES. pic.twitter.com/jvyfFs0FWY
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) March 17, 2024
An RBI single brought Auburn to within two in the top of the eighth, but the Dores answered in the home half as Austin drove in Polk with an RBI single to make it a 9-6 game and setting up Ginther with a three-run lead in the ninth.
The Dores totaled 33 runs on 47 hits on the weekend. Espinal went 8-for-13 with two doubles, four RBI and three runs scored. Davis went 8-for-16 with a triple, double, five RBI and six runs scored. Vastine was 7-for-13 with a home run, triple, two doubles, seven RBI and four runs scored. RJ Austin homered and drove in six runs in the series.
Espinal has reached base safely in 25 games dating back to last season. Davis has reached base safely in all 21 games this season.
Vanderbilt’s last loss at home to Auburn was on April 14, 2012. The Dores have won 10 consecutive home contests over the Tigers.
Vanderbilt will stay in Nashville for its next game, taking on Belmont at First Horizon Park on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Tuesday’s game will air on SECN+ and 94.9 The Fan.
