March 15, 2014
Box Score | Russell’s Photos 
| Game 1 Box Score | Corbin | J. Miller | Stone | Game 1 Recap
Nashville, Tenn. – No. 7 Vanderbilt bounced back in a big way on Saturday to sweep both ends of a doubleheader against No. 8 LSU and clinch the series at Hawkins Field.
The Commodores’ (18-3, 2-1) offense showed up immediately in the first inning of the first game when Dansby Swanson led off with a walk and stole second base. Freshman Bryan Reynolds worked a 12-pitch at-bat before roping a double into the left field corner to score Swanson and give the Dores a lead they would not give up the rest of the day. Zander Wiel followed Reynolds with a triple to right-center field and Wiel came around to score on Wiseman’s sacrifice fly to left to cap a three-run first inning.
Staked to an early lead, Vandy starter Jared Miller made it look easy. After giving up a leadoff double to LSU (17-4, 1-2) leadoff man Sean McMullen in the first, the big lefty settled in getting a double play and a line out to center to end the threat with a zero on the scoreboard. The defense rolled up another double play in the second to end the inning and start a streak of 15 straight retired Tigers for Miller that pushed him into the seventh inning. A walk snapped the streak and after a wild pitch LSU catcher Kade Scivicque made Miller pay with a RBI-single to left that chased Miller from the game.
The Commodores responded with two more runs in the seventh on Vince Conde’s third hit of the game, a two-run single. Carson Fulmer closed the game down in the ninth with a perfect inning to notch his team-best sixth save. Miller picked up the win allowing one run on two hits over 6.2 innings. LSU starter Kyle Bouman took the loss allowing three runs on four hits over four innings.
In the nightcap, Vanderbilt wasted little time, scoring three runs in the second inning to take the lead. Back-to-back doubles from Conde and Jason Delay started the rally before Reynolds struck again with a two-run single. The Dores put the game away in the sixth inning with four more runs sending 10 men to the plate. Swanson started the merry-go-round with a RBI-double and scored on Reynolds’ second RBI-single of the game. Xavier Turner followed with a run-scoring single of his own before Conde drew a bases loaded walk to cap the rally and put the Dores up six runs.
Vanderbilt starter Tyler Ferguson struck out the side in the first inning and cruised into the fourth inning with the lead. But the sophomore lost control with two outs in the inning, after a single Ferguson hit a batter sandwiched between two walks with the second walk forcing in a run that cut the VU lead to a single run. Freshman Hayden Stone entered his first Southeastern Conference game with the bases loaded and the Dores clinging to a one-run lead. The right-hander responded with a strikeout of Tyler Moore to end the LSU threat. The punch out would be a theme for Stone as he struck out a career-best 10 over 5.1 innings to earn his first career win.
Conde wrapped up a big series going 4-for-7 with three RBI in the doubleheader to help lead the Commodores, who collected 21 hits and scored 14 runs in the double dip. Reynolds posted a big day with four hits and four RBI and Swanson collected four hits and two RBI from the leadoff spot.
The series victory over LSU marks the sixth straight over the Tigers and runs Vanderbilt’s regular season series victory streak to 23 straight, including 15 straight SEC series dating back to 2012.
The Commodores return to action Tuesday at Belmont with first pitch set for 4 p.m. at Rose Park.
