NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Junior Hunter Owen threw a complete-game shutout against No. 3 Ole Miss on Friday night at Hawkins Field to lead No. 6 Vanderbilt to an 8-0 win as the Commodores clinched the three-game series against the Rebels.
Owen struck out a career-high 11 batters in the dominant performance while allowing only two hits. He is the first Vandy pitcher to throw a nine-inning, complete-game shutout since Jack Leiter in 2021.
The lefty retired the final 23 batters he faced after giving up a single in the bottom of the second.
Vanderbilt and Ole Miss were locked in a pitchers’ duel until the bottom of the fifth when Vanderbilt batted around and broke the scoreless tie with four runs on four hits.
Enrique Bradfield Jr. got the inning going with a leadoff double to the corner in right. RJ Schreck was intentionally walked with one out and Jack Bulger delivered the game’s first run with an RBI single to left, scoring Bradfield from second.
The big hit came from freshman RJ Austin who launched a three-run home run to left field to give Vandy a 4-0 lead, his third homer on the season.
Three-run blast from Austin 💥#VandyBoys | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/CqMnHf7nZz
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) March 18, 2023
Schreck extended the lead with a one-out, solo shot to right field to make it 5-0, Vanderbilt. Schreck has homered in consecutive games and has 31 career home runs.
Vandy secured three more insurance runs in the eighth after Bradfield again led off the frame with a hit. Bradfield stole second and third and scored on a double by Bulger. Austin then drove in his fourth run of the game on a groundout and Bulger moved up to third.
Bulger scored on a wild pitch to give the Commodores an 8-0 lead.
Owen returned to the mound for the ninth and struck out the first two batters he faced before getting a pop out to end it. He needed just 96 pitches to record his first career complete game.
SHUTOUT AT THE HAWK! #VandyBoys | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/4OopH6UAL3
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) March 18, 2023
Vanderbilt (15-5, 2-0 SEC) and Ole Miss (14-5, 0-2 SEC) will wrap up the series at 1 p.m. Saturday with action airing on SEC Network+.
