NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt run-ruled Middle Tennessee, 14-1, in seven innings Tuesday at Hawkins Field to extend its home winning streak to 15 games.
The Commodores scored 14 runs on 14 hits and used five different pitchers to hold the Blue Raiders to one run on four hits.
All nine starters reached base at least once led by Alan Espinal’s 3-for-3 day. RJ Austin and Braden Holcomb drove in three runs each and Davis Diaz drove in a pair and scored three times. Logan Poteet also tallied two RBI along with Jonathan Vastine.
JD Thompson, making his first appearance since March 12, struck out the side in the first inning.
The Dores got off to a hot start in the bottom of the first. Matthew Polk worked a one-out walk and Espinal singled to put runners on the corners. After Jayden Davis was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Diaz ripped a two-run double off the wall in left to open the scoring.
Driving in early ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/Eupc4Jozpn
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) April 9, 2024
The inning continued as Holcomb reached on an error and Polk came home on the play. Poteet then singled to third base, scoring Diaz. Calvin Hewett reached on another infield single to load the bases again and Vastine drew a walk to bring home Holcomb.
Austin knocked a single through the left side to score two more runs and make it 7-0, Vanderbilt. The bottom of the first came to an end with seven runs on five hits.
MTSU got a run back in the top of the second on a solo home run.
Diaz drew a leadoff walk in the home half of the second and moved up on a single by Holcomb. Poteet singled through the left side to plate Diaz and put the Dores back in front by seven. Hewett worked a walk and Vastine extended Vandy’s lead as Poteet came around to score from second. With Hewett on third and Vastine on second and one out, Austin picked up his third RBI with a sacrifice fly with Hewett scoring to make it 10-1.
Vandy kept things going in the bottom of the third as Espinal lined a leadoff double. Davis was hit by a pitch for the second time and Diaz walked to load the bases. Holcomb singled to left field to drive in both Espinal and Davis. Poteet reached on an error and the Dores got another run on a fielder’s choice to go up 13-1.
The third inning scoring marked 13 consecutive innings that the Commodores had scored a run dating back to Game 2 at LSU on Friday.
The score remained 13-1 until the bottom of the sixth. JD Rogers worked a walk and moved up to second on a single by Vastine. After a fielder’s choice advance Rogers to third, Rogers came home on a sac fly by Polk.
Ryan Ginther took over on the mound and held MTSU scoreless in the top of the seventh to secure the run-rule victory, Vanderbilt’s second in as many games.
Luke Guth made his collegiate debut and struck out three of the four batters he faced, picking up his first collegiate win in the process. Levi Huesman worked two scoreless innings as well with three strikeouts.
First career strikeout for @GuthLuke 👊🔥 pic.twitter.com/3UnF3cDPMn
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) April 9, 2024
Next up for No. 6 Vanderbilt is a top-10 showdown at No. 3 Texas A&M beginning Friday in College Station, Texas.
