NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt fell behind by four runs, its largest deficit of the season, but bounced back in a big way, defeating Indiana State for its eighth-straight win on Wednesday night at a rain-soaked Hawkins Field with an 8-5 victory.
The victory moved 16th-year head coach Tim Corbin into a tie with Roy Mewbourne for the most wins in Vanderbilt baseball history with 655.
The No. 12 Commodores (9-1) scored in four-straight innings between the fourth and seventh, including jumping ahead 7-4 on a three-run home run from junior Alonzo Jones as part of a four-run sixth.
The long ball was the second of the inning for Vanderbilt, which knotted the score at four on a leadoff homer from Pat DeMarco. After consecutive flyouts, JJ Bleday and Stephen Scott extended things with a walk and single, respectively. The Sycamores (5-3) headed to the bullpen, only to see Jones launch his first homer since Opening Weekend 2016. The second-career dinger was enough for the Commodores despite matching a season-low with nine hits.
Vandy threw three freshmen at Indiana State including starter Jake Eder, who allowed three hits and four runs while fanning five and walking one. The lefty sat down 13-of-14 hitters after giving up a two-out, three-run home run to designated hitter Romero Harris in the first.
Aaron Brown (1-0) picked up the win in relief for the Dores, permitting a hit and walk while striking out another in two innings. Reid Schaller tossed the final two frames, limiting Indiana State to a two-out, eighth-inning solo homer.
DeMarco provided the first of two RBIs in the fourth as part of his 2-for-4 performance, shooting a double into left field to put Vandy on the board. An inning later, Connor Kaiser trimmed the deficit to 4-3 on a lined, two-out two-bagger into left-center. The Commodores tacked on an insurance run in the seventh, stretching the lead to four on a sacrifice fly from Philip Clarke. The catcher is one of nine everyday players batting over .300 through the first 10 games of the season.
Vandy hits the road for seven-straight beginning Friday against Sam Houston State. The game will be the first of three as part of the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic at Houston’s Minute Maid Park.
