NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The eighth-ranked Stanford Cardinal avoided a series sweep with a 5-2 win over third-ranked Vanderbilt Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Field.
The Commodores dug an early hole when the Cardinal hit back-to-back home runs in the second inning. Ben Clowe and Stephen Piscotty each hit home runs to left field to put the visitors on top. Another run in the top of the fifth extended the Cardinal lead until the Dores offense responded in the bottom of the inning with two runs on three hits. Mike Yastrzemski drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly and Jason Esposito’s RBI-single brought the team within a run. However, the fifth was the only inning of the day that saw any VU offense. Stanford starter Jordan Pries and lefty Chris Reed combined a five-hitter to earn Stanford its one and only victory of the series. Pries earned the win with Reed notching his first save of the season.
Clowe and Piscotty paced the Cardinal offense with two hits each. Conrad Gregor led the Vandy offense reaching base three times and Connor Harrell hit his team-best third double.
Vanderbilt starter Grayson Garvin was pinned with the loss giving up four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts over six innings.
The Commodores welcome Western Kentucky to Hawkins Field on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
