SAN DIEGO – Vanderbilt improved to 2-0 thanks to a four-run rally in the ninth inning to beat San Diego State 7-3 at Tony Gwynn Stadium Saturday afternoon.
After the Aztecs rallied for a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game at 3-3 the Commodores scored four runs in the ninth to earn the win. Mike Yastrzemski started the rally with a single. Connor Harrell’s sacrifice bunt moved Yastrzemski to second and the sophomore then stole third. Freshman Tony Kemp delivered the lead back to Vanderbilt with a single through a drawn-in infield. Jason Esposito’s single stretched the lead to two runs and Aaron Westlake’s two-run single capped the four-run rally. Navery Moore then worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to finish off the victory.
Esposito led the Commodores with three hits on the night with Kemp, Westlake and Curt Casali all recording two hits apiece. Esposito also drove in two runs in the win and Kemp tripled for his first collegiate hit in the fifth inning. San Diego State’s Chris Wilson paced the Aztecs with three hits of his own.
Mark Lamm earned the win in relief for Vandy recording the final two outs of the eighth inning. Craig Rasmussen took the loss allowing two runs on three hits in three innings of relief. Freshman starter Kevin Ziomek was impressive in his college debut allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits with five strikeouts in 5.1 innings. The lefty tossed five scoreless innings before running into trouble in the sixth.
The Commodores wrap up their West Coast trip tomorrow afternoon with a doubleheader against San Diego. The first game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. CT at Cunningham Stadium. The Dores will send Taylor Hill to the mound in the first game to face Toreros right-hander Calvin Drummond. Grayson Garvin gets the nod for VU in the second game with USD yet to name a starter.
