NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt dropped its fourth-consecutive midweek game on Tuesday night, recording just one hit in a 5-1 loss to Lipscomb at First Tennessee Park.
The No. 8 Commodores (17-8) broke the ice in the fourth inning, when Julian Infante’s sacrifice fly scored Walker Grisanti after three straight walks, giving the Dores a 1-0 lead without the benefit of a hit. But Lipscomb (11-13) third baseman Zeke Dodson’s solo home run off starter Jake Eder in the bottom of the fourth quickly brought the Bisons back to even. The Bisons took the lead with four runs in the fifth inning, chasing Eder after two softly-hit singles started the frame. Cade Sorrells cleared the bases with a line drive triple to right-center field after Reid Schaller replaced Eder, putting Lipscomb ahead 4-1. Dodson brought Sorrells home with a sacrifice fly, punctuating the damage and putting Vanderbilt down 5-1 after five frames.
Stephen Scott’s line drive single to right in the sixth was Vanderbilt’s first and only hit of the night. The Commodores left eight runners on base, going hitless in six at-bats with runners on base over the first six frames before making nine straight outs over the final three innings to end the game. Robbie Knox earned his fourth save of the year for the Bisons.
Eder (1-3) tossed 4.1 innings and took the loss for VU, allowing three runs on six hits and no walks while striking out six. Lipscomb left-hander Alex Dorso (2-1) earned the win with two scoreless frames of relief, posting zeroes in the Commodore fifth and sixth innings while working around Scott’s single and a pair of walks.
Dodson and Maddux Houghton led the way for the Bisons with two hits each. Sorrells accounted for a team-best three RBIs while Dodson added a pair. Lipscomb starter Kyle Kemp walked seven Vanderbilt batters in four innings and threw more balls than strikes in his outing, but did not allow a hit or a run.
Vanderbilt returns to SEC play on Friday at No. 2 Florida in the team’s third-straight Top 25 weekend series. First pitch of the series opener is at 5:30 p.m. CT from Gainesville, Fla., with the game available on SEC Network Plus.
