Late Homer Downs Commodores

AUBURN, Ala. – Vanderbilt fell 7-6 to Auburn on Sunday afternoon at Plainsmark Park.

The Commodores took a 6-3 lead into the eighth inning before a grand slam by the Tigers put the home team in front to claim the series in Sunday’s rubber match.

Colin Barzi put Vanderbilt on the board with a solo homer in the top of the second, his second on the season.

The top of the second continued with Mac Rose being hit by a pitch and Jayden Davis doubling off the wall in left to put runners on second and third. Jonathan Vastine made it 2-0 with a sac fly to bring home Rose.

After Auburn cut Vandy’s lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the third, the Commodores pushed four runs across in the top of the fourth to pull away.

Vastine and Braden Holcomb hit back-to-back home runs over the wall in left to get the scoring going. Jacob Humphrey nearly made it three consecutive home runs with a triple off the top of the wall in left-center.

Brodie Johnston singled through the right side to score Humphrey to make it 5-1. A single by Riley Nelson with two outs put runners on the corners for Barczi, who picked up his second RBI on the day by beating out an infield single to score Johnston and give the Dores a 6-1 advantage.

The Tigers hit a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth to trim Vandy’s lead to four. An pair of errors allowed a second run to score in the inning to make it a 6-3 game.

Bowker was lights out after the fifth and retired the Tigers in order in the sixth and seventh innings. The righty finished with five hits and two earned runs allowed and four strikeouts.

Auburn took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the eighth with a grand slam to go in front 7-6.

Vanderbilt starting pitcher Cody Bowker turned in the longest outing by a Vandy starter this season, going seven full while holding Auburn to two earned runs on five hits and striking out four.

Vanderbilt returns home and will host Belmont on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Hawkins Field.