NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt clinched the series over Xavier with a 6-1 win Saturday at Hawkins Field.
Alex Kranzler turned in 4.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to earn his first win on the season. Kranzler allowed just one hit and struck out three. Vandy’s starting pitcher, Ethan McElvain, totaled seven strikeouts and allowed just one run over 3.1 innings, holding the Musketeers to two hits.
Miller Green collected his third save with 1.1 innings of work and struck out the side in the ninth.
Jonathan Vastine hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the third which proved to be enough for the Commodores.
Xavier scored its lone run in the top of the fourth before being kept scoreless over the final five frames.
Vanderbilt pushed four insurance runs across in the bottom of the eighth thanks in part to a pair of perfectly placed bunts.
Riley Nelson led off the eighth with a single and Brodie Johnston followed with a single of his own. Mac Rose then dropped a bunt to the left side of the infield and everyone was safe to load the bases.
An error on the shortstop allowed Barczi to reach first and Nelson to score from third. Mancini then executed a double squeeze play with a bunt to the right side of the infield in which Johnston scored from third and RJ Hamilton, pinch running for Rose, scored all the way from second.
David Mendez was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Jonathan Vastine then hit a ground ball to the shortstop who tried to get the force out at second but a hustling Mendez beat the shortstop to the bag and Barczi never stopped running, scoring from second on the play to give the Commodores a 6-1 lead.
Vanderbilt improves to 12-3 on the season and 9-0 at home. The Commodores go for the series sweep over the Musketeers at 1 p.m. Sunday at Hawkins Field.
