NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Western Kentucky University pounded out 16 hits, including two grand slams and starting pitcher Brian Edelen threw six shutout innings in a 17-2 win over No. 16 Vanderbilt Tuesday night at Hawkins Field.
The Hilltoppers led throughout and improved to 13-4 overall and 2-1 against teams from the Southeastern Conference, while the Commodores fell to 14-2 and saw their 10-game winning streak end.
“You’ve got to hand it to [WKU],” said Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin. “They took advantage of some early-inning freebies and walks and errors, and they hit the ball extremely well. You give up 16 hits, you give up [eight] freebies, and you probably should lose by 15 runs.”
Edelen (2-0) allowed three hits in six innings with three strikeouts and three walks in the winning effort.
The Hilltoppers took advantage of two errors by Bryan Johns at second base to plate six unearned runs through the first two innings en route to a 7-0 lead. Matt Payton reached on Johns’ error to lead off the game and scored on Jared Andreoli’s triple into the gap in right-center. Kes Carter brought Andreoli home on a fly ball to center to make it 2-0.
WKU loaded the bases in the second on three walks and with two outs Andreoli grounded to second, but Johns couldn’t come up with the ball cleanly allowing a run to score, while extending the inning. Carter then blasted a grand-slam homer to right-center to extend the lead to 7-0.
Andreoli reached on an infield single in the fourth and scored on a RBI double by Matt Rice into the gap in right-center. Casey Dykes led off the fifth with a walk, advanced to second on a balk by reliever Navery Moore and scored on a RBI single by Jake Wells to make it 9-0.
The Hilltopppers added two more unearned runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth on a double to left-center from Monte Ketchum to extend the lead to 13-0.
VU broke up the shutout bid in the eighth scoring on a RBI single by Anthony Gomez. For the second straight game he extended his hit streak, currently at nine games, in his only at bat of the game.
Matt Rice hit WKU’s second grand-slam homer of the game in the ninth to make it 17-1. VU scored a run in the ninth on a RBI single by Drew Fann to close out the scoring.
Chase Reid (2-1) gave up eight runs, two earned, on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 3.2 innings of work in the first loss of his collegiate career. He was 9-0 entering the contest. Moore allowed three runs, one earned, in 2.1 innings with three strikeouts and three walks. Sam Selman pitched the final three innings allowing six runs on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
The loss was Vanderbilt’s worst since falling 18-2 to LSU in 2001 in Baton Rouge.
The Commodores and Hilltoppers will play the second game of the home and home series tomorrow at 3 p.m. in Bowling Green.
