Nashville, Tenn. – Sophomore Chandler Day was strong over 5.1 innings in No. 24 Vanderbilt’s 8-1 win over Western Kentucky on Tuesday at Hawkins Field.
Day was crisp out of the gate with a perfect first inning before a hiccup in the second scored Western Kentucky’s (6-12) lone run of the game. Three straight singles with two outs scored the run before Day could get out of the inning. His teammates picked him up in the bottom of the inning with two runs to take the lead and never look back.
Ethan Paul’s two-out single kept the inning alive but a fly ball to left field off the bat of Connor Kaiser looked to end the inning. WKU left fielder Steven Kraft, however, dropped the fly ball to allow Paul to score and tie the game. In his first career start, freshman Ty Duvall put the Commodores (12-6) in front to stay with his first career hit, doubling to right field to knock in his first career run.
Vandy sent 11 men to the plate in the seventh inning to score five runs and put the game away. Duvall started the inning with his third hit of the game and scored two batters later on Julian Infante’s single to shallow left-center. Will Toffey’s two-run double to right-center delivered the big blow in the inning before Duvall capped the rally by drawing a bases loaded walk.
Day earned his second straight win after allowing one run on six hits with no walks and four strikeouts. He retired seven straight from the third to the fifth inning before running out of gas in the in the sixth inning with one out. Freshman Zach King entered in relief and picked up Day, stranding two runners to keep the Dores up 3-1 at the time.
Duvall led the Dores’ 10-hit attack with Ethan Paul, Infante and Toffey all adding two hits in Vanderbilt’s sixth win over the last seven games.
WKU starter Jeff Ciocco took the loss, giving up three runs, one earned, on five hits over four innings. Ty Hogan recorded two of the team’s seven hits.
Vanderbilt begins Southeastern Conference play this Friday on the road at No. 16 Ole Miss. Kyle Wright gets the ball on Friday night against the Rebels as the Commodores make their first trip to Oxford since 2013.
