NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt used seven home runs by seven different players to win 14-2 in seven innings Friday against North Dakota State at Hawkins Field.
The Commodores launched back-to-back homers twice in the third inning and ended the game in the seventh on a three-run blast by Aukai Kea.
Kea is now 2-for-2 in his collegiate career with two home runs.
Connor Fennell was lights out on the mound, striking out the first six batters he faced. The righty went six innings, finishing with 11 strikeouts and no walks. Fennell earned his second win on the season and is up to 30 strikeouts over 21.1 innings with just three walks.
Brodie Johnston got the bats going with a two-run blast in the bottom of the first, his seventh homer on the year.
Vandy played five runs in the third with four deep flies. Rustan Rigdon hit his first home run of the season and Logan Johnstone went back-to-back with his fourth. Later in the frame, Braden Holcomb launched a two-run blast to retake the team lead with his eighth big fly. Vandy went back-to-back again as Max Jensen joined the dinger derby with a solo shot, his first as a Commodore.
North Dakota State scored a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to trim Vanderbilt’s lead to 7-2.
Holcomb picked up another RBI in the home half of the fourth with a sac fly. Chris Maldonado then belted a three-run blast to make it 11-2.
Kea came on as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh with two runners on and ended the game with a three-run homer, giving Vanderbilt its seventh run-rule victory on the season.
Vandy’s seven homers are the most in a game since the Commodores hit nine against Clemson in 2018.
The Commodores (9-6) and Bison (1-12) will meet Saturday at 2 p.m. for Game 2 of the series.
