NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Vanderbilt clinched the series Saturday with a 10-1 win over LSU at a sold out Hawkins Field.
Commodores’ starter Grayson Garvin tamed the Tigers over seven innings to notch his eighth win of the year and move to a perfect 6-0 in six SEC starts. The lefty fanned eight and allowed one run on five hits and one walk to help the Dores to the team’s ninth series win of the year. Garvin was perfect through the first three innings before his lone walk of the day came around to score in the fourth on a fielder’s choice. Will Clinard finished off the win working two scoreless innings.
The VU offense scored nine runs over their final three at-bats to win the game, pushing four runs across in the sixth, three more in the seventh and finally two runs in the eighth. The Commodores equaled a season-best with six hits, all singles, in the sixth to score four runs and retake the lead. Conrad Gregor’s two-out, two-run double in the seventh scored two runs with a LSU error bringing Gregor in to score for an 8-1 VU lead. Jason Esposito’s two-run double in the eighth pushed the lead to nine runs and moved Esposito into a tie for ninth all-time at Vanderbilt with 50 doubles in his career.
Esposito helped lead the charge with three RBI on the day with Gregor and Riley Reynolds each adding three hits apiece. Mike Yastrzemski’s home run in the second off the scoreboard in left field scored the Dores’ first run. Tyler Hanover paced the Tigers with two of the team’s six hits.
LSU starter Kevin Gausman was saddled with the loss allowing five runs on 10 hits over 5.2 innings. The Tigers’ bullpen allowed four runs on six walks and three hits over the final 2.1 innings.
The Commodores bring the brooms tomorrow looking for the team’s sixth series sweep of the season. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPN2. Senior Taylor Hill gets the nod for Vanderbilt against LSU senior Ben Alsup.
