NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt finished off a series sweep over Marist with an 8-1 win in the finale on Sunday at Hawkins Field as the Commodores collected their fifth straight win.
Vandy’s streak of four consecutive run-rule victories came to an end, but the Dores continued to light up the scoreboard with eight more runs Sunday on eight hits. Over the first five home games of the season, the Commodores are outscoring their opponents 65-11 while hitting .427 as a team with 13 home runs.
On the mound, Vandy’s pitching staff owns a 2.13 ERA with 49 strikeouts over 38 innings during the win streak. Nate Taylor got the start Sunday and held Marist to one hit and an unearned run over four frames. He struck out six in his Hawkins Field debut.
Jacob Faulkner tossed three innings of one-hit, scoreless ball and Wyatt Nadeau followed with two more scoreless innings, allowing just one hit as well. Nadeau struck out four consecutive batters after entering the game.
The Red Foxes took a 1-0 lead on a passed ball in the top of the second before the Dores rattled off eight unanswered runs.
Brodie Johnston got Vanderbilt on the board with a two-out single in the bottom of the third, scoring Chris Maldonado. Mike Mancini followed with another two-out knock to bring home Ryker Waite and put the Dores in front, 2-1.
The Commodores made it 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth on a passed ball and a sac fly. Waite laced an RBI triple to the gap in right-center in the sixth inning to increase the lead to 5-1.
Braden Holcomb smashed a two-run homer in the seventh, his fourth on the season. Vanderbilt has hit a home run in all eight games.
Carter Johnstone tacked on another run with an RBI double to stretch Vandy’s lead to 8-1 in the seventh.
The Commodores have one more home game to conclude this six-game homestand. Vandy hosts Evansville at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday before heading out west to compete in the Live Like Lou Las Vegas College Classic next weekend.
