Vanderbilt pounded six runs across in the second inning and never looked back, defeating South Carolina, 8-1 to even the three-game series on Saturday afternoon at Hawkins Field.
The No. 17 Commodores (25-17, 11-9 SEC) batted around in the second as the first six batters reached to spark Vandy’s highest single-inning output since March 17 at Mississippi State. The Dores struck for six hits in the frame including two-run singles from Julian Infante and Philip Clarke.
Three innings later, Alonzo Jones added insurance, lining a two-out, two-run home run into the right field bleachers for an 8-1 lead. The support was more than enough for starter Patrick Raby, who allowed a solo homer in the first before stranding South Carolina runners on base in the next four innings.
Seven different Dores totaled at least one hit including Pat DeMarco, who led off the second with a nine-pitch walk. The freshman added another hit in the frame and set the table in the fifth, leading off with a single before scoring on the second-career long ball from Jones.
Connor Kaiser evened things up in the second, lining a single through the right side to score DeMarco (single). Jones followed, working a six-pitch walk to load the bases and Infante capitalized, tagging a two-run single into left.
The Gamecocks (25-18, 10-10 SEC) appeared poised to limit the damage as starter Adam Hill struck out consecutive batters but Clarke answered the bell, looping a two-run single into center field.
Raby (3-4) tossed five innings, allowing just one run while scattering six hits alongside a walk and four punch-outs for the victory. Jackson Gillis held USC to a pair of hits while striking out four in the three innings before Chandler Day closed the door, permitting one hit alongside a strikeout in the ninth.
Hill was saddled with the loss, falling to 4-5 on the season. The right-hander, who struck out 11 Vandy batters in six innings a season ago, gave up seven runs on eight hits to go with a pair of walks and six strikeouts.
The Gamecocks matched Vandy with nine hits but were held to a .188 average (3-for-16) with runners on base. South Carolina went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Two-hole hitter Carlos Cortes drove in the lone run on a solo homer.
The Commodores look to win their seventh-straight SEC home series on Sunday with the rubber match scheduled for 1 p.m. Right-hander Mason Hickman (7-1, 3.69 ERA) takes the mound for Vandy against righty Cody Morris (6-3, 4.18 ERA).
