NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt fell 9-6 to Loyola Marymount in Sunday’s series finale at Hawkins Field.
The Commodores entered the bottom of the ninth down seven and plated four runs in a comeback effort but came up short, dropping the afternoon contest to the Lions.
Vandy went on top 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth. Chris Maldonado doubled in his first at-bat Sunday and gave the Commodores a 1-0 lead in his second one with a solo home run to center field, the first of his career.
Maldonado has nine hits in his first nine collegiate starts. Seven of those nine hits have gone for extra bases.
LMU worked the bases loaded in the top of the fifth and took the lead on a two-run double off the wall in left. The Lions added a third run on a groundout to go in front 3-1.
The Dores got a run back in the home half of the inning after a one-out double by RJ Austin. Austin advanced to third on a balk and RJ Schreck brought Austin home on a groundout to cut LMU’s lead to 3-2.
LMU extended its lead with runs in each of the final three innings. A two-out RBI single by Khadim Diaw in the seventh and another two-out RBI single in the eighth made it 5-2. LMU plated four in the top of the ninth to make it a 9-2 game.
Vandy rallied in the bottom half as JD Rogers got things going with his first collegiate hit, a single to right. Rogers scored on an error and Jack Bulger singled to put two on for Enrique Bradfield Jr. Bradfield doubled to the gap in left-center, plating two more runs. Schreck doubled two batters later to score Bradfield, but LMU escaped with the tying run on deck.
Vanderbilt (12-5) had won six consecutive games entering Sunday and claimed the series vs. LMU (7-7) with a 2-0 win Saturday after taking Friday’s contest 2-1.
The Commodores will play the first of two games in this year’s All 4 Lou series Tuesday against Belmont at First Horizon Park. Vandy and Lipscomb will meet at First Horizon on March 21 with both games benefitting the Live Like Lou fund for ALS research.
