Stone Video | Corbin Video | Highlights
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No. 9 Vanderbilt eased by Lipscomb 5-1 on Wednesday afternoon at Hawkins Field in the home opener.
The Commodores’ (4-0) pitching staff continued its early season dominance with another strong outing in the season’s first home game. Starter Walker Buehler kept the Dores’ starting pitcher’s streak alive not allowing an earned run. Vanderbilt’s four starting pitchers (Tyler Beede, Jared Miller, Tyler Ferguson) have not allowed an earned run in 21.1 innings this year.
Buehler struck out two in the first inning but ran into trouble in the second. Former Commodore Josh Lee reached base on an error and the Bisons (0-4) eventually loaded the bases before scoring on a ground out to tie the game. Buehler pitched out of another jam in the fourth after a leadoff triple. The right-hander punched out two and used a spectacular play from shortstop Vince Conde to end the inning. Buehler picked up the win allowing one unearned run on four hits with six strikeouts.
Freshman Hayden Stone made his collegiate debut in the sixth then struck out the side in the seventh to record four strikeouts in his first two innings as a Commodore. Adam Ravenelle struck out two in the eighth to run the Dores’ total to a season-best 12 strikeouts.
While the Dores’ hurlers were dominating, the Vandy offense was hard at work against Lipscomb knuckleballer Ian Martinez-McGraw. Vanderbilt scratched out a pair of runs in the third inning to take the lead for good. Freshman Ro Coleman led off the inning with a single and came around to score on Zander Wiel’s second RBI-single of the night. Freshman Bryan Reynolds followed with a sacrifice fly to left for a 3-1 VU lead. Wiel tacked on his third RBI of the night in the fifth with a ground out to second that scored Dansby Swanson, who led off the inning with an infield single. Kyle Smith capped the night’s scoring in the eighth with a pinch hit RBI-single up the middle in his first at-bat of the year.
Wiel led the way for the Commodores going 2-for-4 with three RBI. Martinez-McGraw tossed a complete game in the Lipscomb loss allowing five runs, three earned, on seven hits and four walks.
Vanderbilt returns to action Friday afternoon at Hawkins Field against Illinois-Chicago. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
