NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt used an eight-run seventh inning to come back against Austin Peay on Tuesday evening, beating the Governors 11-7 at Hawkins Field.
The Commodores overcame a four-run deficit in the seventh with eight runs on six hits.
Trailing 7-3, Jack Bulger got the rally started with an RBI-single through the left side to bring home RJ Schreck. Enrique Bradfield Jr. followed with an infield RBI single to cut Austin Peay’s lead to two.
With the bases loaded, RJ Austin hit a grounder to the first basemen who elected to throw home for the force out, but the throw went errant allowing two runs to come home to tie the game at 7-7.
The inning continued with another infield single, this time by Jonathan Vastine, scoring Bradfield and giving the Commodores’ their first lead of the evening.
Schreck singled to right field to bring home Austin and Troy LaNeve doubled down the right-field line scoring Vastine and Schreck to cap the eight-inning frame.
EIGHT RUN INNING AT THE HAWK! #VandyBoys | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/O6su6U6hJG
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) March 1, 2023
Austin Peay opened the scoring in the first inning. The visitors hit back-to-back singles followed a double steal and a sacrifice fly to go up 1-0.
Vanderbilt answered in the home half to pull even. Bradfield worked a walk and swiped his 98th career stolen base before scoring from second on a Vastine single through the right side.
Austin Peay drew three walks in the top of the second before right fielder Garrett Martin hit a two-out grand slam to left-center to put the Govs up 5-1.
Matthew Polk chipped away at the deficit with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth, his second on the season.
The Governors stretched their lead back to four with a solo shot to lead off the top of the sixth to make it a 6-2 game.
Vanderbilt cut Austin Peay’s lead to three again in the bottom of the sixth, but the Governors once again responded with a run in the seventh to go back in front by four before Vandy’s big seventh-inning comeback.
Ryan Ginther took over on the mound after the rally and held Austin Peay scoreless over the final two frames, striking out three. Greysen Carter (W, 1-0) earned his first collegiate win with one inning of work.
Bradfield reached base five times in the win and scored twice. Vastine and LaNeve each drove in a pair of runs and Polk scored three times. The Dores tallied a season-high 13 hits.
No. 7 Vanderbilt improves to 6-3 while Austin Peay falls to 2-6.
The Commodores head to Minneapolis this weekend for the 2023 Cambria College Classic hosted by Minnesota. Vanderbilt will play Nebraska on Friday, No. 18 Maryland on Saturday and Minnesota on Sunday. All three games will be played at U.S. Bank Stadium and will stream live on BTN+.
