MTSU Defeats Vanderbilt, 6-4

MTSU Defeats Vanderbilt, 6-4

5/10/2005

NASHVILLE — Mike Baxter drove in three runs and Jeff Sues pitched three and two-thirds shutout innings but Vanderbilt was beaten, 6-4, Wednesday by Middle Tennessee State.

A sellout crowd of 1,610 at Charles Hawkins Field was on hand and witnessed just the fourth VU loss in a non-conference contest and first in a mid-week game.

The Commodores are now 30-17 for the season, 19-4 in non-conference play. They will play a weekend series at Kentucky (Friday-Sunday) then play their final two non-conference games, May 17 and 18 at Ohio University.

Baxter got Vanderbilt within two with a two-out single in the seventh that scored Alex Feinberg. It was the second hit of the night for the senior from White Stone, N.Y. His two-out double in the bottom of the third gave the Commodores their only lead, 2-1. Baxter was thrown out at third trying to stretch that into a triple to end the inning, but not before Feinberg had scored from second and Antoan Richardson had made it home all the way from first.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth, pinch-hitter Brian Hernandez narrowly missed a game-tying, two-run home run when his blast to left field hit just near the top of the 35-foot wall which separates the field from Memorial Gymnasium. Hernandez settled for a double and Carter Hawkins, who had reached on a single, stopped at third. The next two batters were retired and the rally ended.

Shea Robin made his first career start, as designated hitter, and drove in Vanderbilt’s only other run. His fourth-inning single which scored Hawkins was the first career hit and RBI for the freshman from The Wooodlands, Texas.

Overall, Vanderbilt had 12 hits and drew one walk against four different MTSU pitchers but left nine runners on base.

Sues was the Commodores’ fourth and final pitcher and retired eight of the first nine batters he faced. He allowed back-to-back singles to start the ninth but set down the next three, the final two on strikeouts.

The senior from Red Bank, N.J. finished with five strikeouts (no walks) and in so doing raised his season total to a career-high 53 and surpassed 150 for his career.

Matt Buschmann was the Commodores’ starting pitcher. He allowed one run, three hits, one walk and struck out two in three innings.

He was replaced by Ryan Rote at the start of the fourth. Rote pitched two innings and took the loss. Stephen Shao pitched one-third of an inning before Sues came on.

The quartet allowed a total of 12 hits and two walks. Five of the Blue Raiders’ hits went for extra bases, including a two-run home run by Marcus Taylor in the fourth that put them ahead to stay.