NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt finished off a series sweep of LSU Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Field and finish the weekend in a three-way tie atop the Southeastern Conference.
The game was tied 1-1 going into the bottom of the third when the Commodores rallied for six runs to claim the lead sending 12 men to the plate. The Dores matched a season-best with six hits during the rally with Conrad Gregor’s two-run homer leading the way. The Tigers rallied for four runs in the seventh inning to close the gap to two runs before the VU bullpen responded and closed the door to finish off the victory.
Vanderbilt equaled a season-high with 20 hits on the afternoon and set a new season-high with 17 runners left on base, including the bases loaded four times. The bottom three spots in the Commodores’ lineup (Gregor, Riley Reynolds and Jack Lupo) combined to go 10-for-13 with six runs scored and three RBI to pace the offense. Gregor. Lupo and Anthony Gomez led all players with four hits, a career-best for all three players. Gomez drove in three runs and Jason Esposito extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a RBI-single in the third inning. Trey Watkins led the Tigers, scoring three runs and going 2-for-3.
Taylor Hill picked up the win pitching five innings. The senior allowed three runs on six hits with four walks for his third win of the season. LSU starter Ben Alsup was pinned with the loss giving up six runs on nine hits in just 2.2 innings. Navery Moore worked around a walk and an error in the ninth to notch his ninth save of the season.
The Dores’ sweep of LSU along with Florida’s sweep of Alabama and South Carolina’s 2-1 series victory over Mississippi State puts the three teams in a three-way tie atop the SEC standings at 14-4.
The Commodores head to Western Kentucky on Tuesday night for a midweek match-up with the Hilltoppers. Vanderbilt welcomes Tennessee to Hawkins Field next weekend with Friday’s game set for 6 p.m., Saturday’s game at noon and Sunday’s game at 1 p.m. Saturday’s tilt will be broadcast on CSS.
