NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt used a 10-run fifth inning to cruise past Belmont on Tuesday afternoon at First Horizon Park.
The Commodores got on the board in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Spencer Jones that scored Davis Diaz.
Belmont responded with a run in the second and two more in the top of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead.
Vandy quickly pulled even in the home half of the fourth. Parker Noland scored on a groundout and Enrique Bradfield Jr. touched home on a Jones RBI single to tie the game at three apiece.
Vanderbilt blew the game open in the fifth with a 10-run frame on six hits. Carter Young got things going with a two-run blast to right field. After an RBI single from Noland and a two-run single by Jones, Dominic Keegan tripled to right-center to score two more.
The inning continued with Jack Bulger connecting on his first home run on the season, a two-run shot to left. Vandy added the frame’s 10th run with Young scoring on a throwing error by the Belmont third baseman to push it’s lead to 13-3.
Grayson Moore took the mound in relief in the sixth and threw two scoreless frames. Donye Evans followed with a scoreless eighth inning. Belmont made it 13-4 in the top of the ninth but Greysen Carter and Brett Hansen finished things off for the Dores.
Devin Futrell (4-0) got the start on the bump and threw five strong innings, allowing three runs on six hits with three strikeouts.
Jones finished the game 3-for-4 with a team-high four RBI. Young and Keegan totaled two RBI each.
Vanderbilt hits the road this weekend for a three-game series at South Carolina beginning at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday with action airing on ESPN2. Game 2 of the series is at 6 p.m. on Friday with the finale scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday. The final two games will both air on SEC Network+.
