Corbin Postgame | Navin HR | Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No. 2 Vanderbilt cruised by Presbyterian 5-2 on Wednesday night behind six pitchers.
Junior T.J. Pecoraro earned the start after his scheduled start was rained out at South Carolina on Sunday. The right-hander eased through three innings, issuing only a leadoff walk in the third inning to earn his third win of the season. Pecoraro retired the first six batters he faced and the final three before turning it over to a well-rested bullpen. Walker Buehler took over on the hill and turned in two scoreless innings allowing the Blue Hose (23-26) first hit of the game in the fourth. Jared Miller, Adam Ravenelle and Carson Fulmer all followed with scoreless innings with Ravenelle and Fulmer tossing perfect frames. Presbyterian finally scratched out a couple of runs off Brian Miller in the ninth to make it interesting. But Miller bounced back to retire the last two batters and finish off the win.
Vanderbilt (42-6) took the lead in the second inning on a Vince Conde single up the middle with two outs and never looked back. The Dores tacked on three more in the third inning with a four-hit rally. Jack Lupo opened the inning with a single and moved to second when Tony Kemp was walked. Xavier Turner dropped down his second sacrifice bunt of the night to put both runners in scoring position. Mike Yastrzemski pushed the first run across with a RBI ground out and Connor Harrell made it 3-0 Vandy with the first of three straight, two-out singles. Zander Wiel’s two-out base knock capped the rally and pushed the VU lead to four runs. Spencer Navin added a solo homer in the fourth for his fourth round tripper of the year.
Four Commodores led the way with two-hit games with Harrell, Navin, Lupo and Conrad Gregor all collecting two hits each. Brandon Paul paced the Blue Hose with two hits and Robby Swab drove in the team’s two runs in the ninth with a single to left. Presbyterian starter Tim Corbin (2-3) took the loss allowing five runs on 11 hits in six innings of work.
The Commodores ninth straight win made the team 28-3 this season at Hawkins Field. On the night 23 Commodores saw action with eight picking up at least one hit. The 5-2 victory also marked the eighth straight game Vandy has allowed three runs or less.
Vanderbilt returns to action Friday night at Kentucky when the Commodores and Wildcats open a three-game series. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. CT with Kevin Ziomek (9-2) getting the ball against Kentucky’s lefty A.J. Reed (2-6).