NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt pitching kept Presbyterian off balance and the freshman class continued to shine at the plate as the No. 13 Commodores defeated the Blue Hose, 7-1 on Tuesday night at Hawkins Field.
Freshmen Austin Martin and Pat DeMarco combined to go 7-for-9, contributing more than half of the team’s hits (12) in the win. Martin totaled four hits and scored one run in the leadoff spot while DeMarco finished with three hits and two RBIs in the cleanup spot.
Vandy (3-1) held Presbyterian (2-3) to five hits with starter Maddux Conger (1-0) earning the win. The right-hander tossed five scoreless innings, scattering three hits while fanning five and walking two.
Vanderbilt maintained a two-run lead entering the seventh before teeing off for four hits and as many runs in the frame. After a one-out double from Martin, Connor Kaiser lifted an RBI-single into center. DeMarco followed an Ethan Paul hit by pitch, driving a two-run wall-ball double into center for a 5-0 advantage.
Stephen Scott became the seventh Dore to hit in the seventh, shooting a two-out double down the right field line to score DeMarco. Vandy tacked on an additional run in the eighth to make it 7-0, courtesy of a Kaiser fielder’s choice.
In the opening frame, Paul belted his 10th career home run, lifting the third pitch of his at-bat over the Monster in left to provide Vanderbilt the early 1-0 advantage. It marked the second-straight game in which the Dores had homered in the first inning.
Freshman lefty Hugh Fisher needed just 16 pitches to record six outs in relief without permitting a hit. Right-hander Reid Schaller closed things out, tossing the final two innings, allowing two hits and a run while striking out two.
The squads return to action on Wednesday, closing the brief two-game set at 4 p.m. Left-handed freshman Jake Eder will make his collegiate debut on the mound for the Dores. The matchup will be the fifth of 10-straight homes games for Vandy to open the season.
