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Vanderbilt Outslugs Baylor, 11-7

Vanderbilt Outslugs Baylor, 11-7

3/14/2004

Warner Jones went 5-for-5 with an RBI and scored three runs.

Vanderbilt Outslugs Baylor, 11-7
Commodores take series 2-1

WACO, Texas — Four unearned runs in the top of the fourth gave Vanderbilt the eventual game-winning runs as the Commodores rallied to defeat Baylor 11-7 at the Baylor Ballpart Sunday. The Bears fall to 5-13 with the loss, while the Commodores claim the series victory and move to 13-2 on the year.

With one out in the fourth, Commodore nine-hole hitter Worth Scott reached on a throwing error by Baylor third baseman Michael Griffin. Ryan Klosterman followed with a triple and then scored on an Antoan Richardson sacrifice fly. Warner Jones kept the inning going with a single, and Cesar Nicolas followed with a home run to left.

The four-spot erased Baylor’s 5-4 lead, which the Bears got thanks to Tyler Bullock’s third-inning two-run double. Baylor was not able to answer, and the Commodores pushed their lead to 10-4 with two more runs in the seventh. The Bears got a run in the bottom of the seventh, Vanderbilt added another run in the top of the ninth, and Bullock blasted a solo home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth.   

Vanderbilt reliever Jeff Sues (1-0) picked up the victory, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings with two hits, two walks and four strikeouts. Baylor got to starter Ryan Mullins for five runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings.

Sean Walker (0-3) started and took the loss for the Bears; he surrendered eight runs, four earned, on nine hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts in 3.2 innings.

Vanderbilt got the scoring started with a run on an Aaron Garza sacrifice fly in the top of the second. Baylor answered in the bottom of the inning on a Mike Pankratz three-run homer. The Commodores were quick to recapture the lead in the top of the third, though, on a Jones RBI double and a Mike Baxter two-run single.

Drew Sutton was 4-for-5 with two runs scored on the day. Bullock finished 2-for-4 with three RBI, as did Pankratz.

Vanderbilt returns to action Tuesday, hosting UT-Martin at Charles Hawkins Field. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.