Nashville, Tenn. – Vanderbilt’s nine-game winning streak in midweek games was snapped Tuesday night in a rain-soaked 5-2 loss to Tennessee Tech at Hawkins Field.
The Commodores (21-13) and Golden Eagles (26-9) played one inning under overcast skies before those same skies began to drop rain, halting the game for 50 minutes between the first and second innings. The two teams remained scoreless as the rain picked up until the fifth inning when the Eagles jumped on Vandy starter Chandler Day for four runs. Day racked up his ninth strikeout of the night to open the frame but a single by David Garza and a double by Anthony Carrera sparked the rally, a third straight hit from Alex Junior delivered the first run of the game. A pair of wild pitches and a hit batter later, Day exited trailing 3-0 with two runners aboard. A wild pitch from reliever Paxton Stover plated a fourth run before the lefty could get the Dores out of the inning with a double play.
Vanderbilt scratched out a pair of runs in the eighth inning when Stephen Scott reached on an error and scored on a Julian Infante double. Alex Brewer knocked in his first career run with a groundout to bring the Dores within three runs. Alonzo Jones singled and Walker Grisanti walked to bring Jeren Kendall to the plate as the tying run in the bottom of the ninth but the junior struck out to end the game.
Day took his first loss of the year despite striking out nine. The right-hander gave up four runs on seven hits over 4.1 innings. Day combined with Drake Fellows, Matt McGarry, Jackson Gillis and Zach King to strike out 16 batters and match the Commodores’ season-high. Jones had two of the Dores’ four hits in the loss.
Devin Lancaster earned the win in relief for Tennessee Tech, giving up two unearned runs on two hits over 4.1 innings. Ethan Roberts nailed down his ninth save of the year with a scoreless ninth. Carrera led the way for the Eagles with two hits and an RBI.
Vanderbilt returns to action Thursday night at Hawkins Field at 8 p.m. on ESPNU against No. 12 Florida. The Commodores and Gators battle Friday night at 6:30 p.m. and wrap up the series on Saturday at 2 p.m.
