LAS VEGAS — Vanderbilt allowed seven unanswered runs after taking an early lead in a 9-4 loss to UC Irvine on Friday at the Live Like Lou Las Vegas College Baseball Classic.
The Commodores tallied nine hits and worked five walks but stranded 10 baserunners in the loss. The Anteaters took advantage of six walks and six hit-by-pitches along with a pair of wild pitches to score nine runs on 11 hits.
The Dores opened the scoring on a groundout RBI by Mike Mancini in the bottom of the first.
UC Irvine got on the board with a 2-1 single in the second, but Vandy had a quick response in the home half.
Mack Whitcomb singled to lead off the inning and Ryker Waite roped a double to right. Whitcomb came home on a groundout by Chris Maldonado and Waite scored on a Carter Johnstone sac fly to put Vandy back in front, 3-2.
UC Irvine pulled even in the fifth and jumped ahead with a four-run frame in the sixth. The Anteaters tacked two more runs on in the top of the ninth.
Vandy made it 9-4 on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth, but UC Irvine held on to win by five.
Vanderbilt takes on Arizona on Saturday at Las Vegas Ballpark with first pitch set for 6 p.m. CT.
