NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt baseball used a seven-run sixth inning to run-rule St. Bonaventure, 14-1, in seven innings Wednesday evening at Hawkins Field.
Vanderbilt scored one run in the third, three in the fourth, three in the fifth and seven in the sixth to put away the Bonnies on a cold, windy night in Nashville.
Brodie Johnston continued his hot start with a 2-for-3 night, driving in a team-high three runs and scoring twice. All but one Vandy starter drove in a run with Johnston, RJ Austin, Riley Nelson and Jonathan Vastine each tallying multiple RBI.
The Commodores used six arms with Hudson Barton earning the win, the first of his career.
Austin Nye got the start and threw 2.0 scoreless with three strikeouts. Brennan Seiber struck out two in one inning of work. After Barton went 1.2 innings with one earned allowed, Luke Guth, Levi Huesman and Ryan Ginther finished off the game without allowing a hit over the final 2.1 innings.
The Commodores totaled 13 strikeouts on the mound.
Vanderbilt took a 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI single from Colin Barczi that scored Johnston.
St. Bonaventure evened the score with a solo homer in the top of the fourth, but the Commodores responded with three runs in the home half of the inning and never looked back.
Mike Mancini started off the bottom of the fourth with a walk. He took second on a wild pitch and third on a throwing error by the catcher. After Jacob Humphrey was hit by a pitch and stole second, Austin hit a grounder to the second baseman, who despite playing in, was unable to throw out Mancini at the plate.
Humphrey came home on a wild pitch and Austin made it 4-1 on a sac fly from Johnston.
Vandy score three runs on three hits in the bottom of the fifth to pull away. Braden Holcomb singled and back-to-back walks to Mancini and Humphrey loaded the bases. With two outs, Austin beat out an infield single to score Holcomb. Nelson then laced a two-run single to right field, scoring Mancini and Humphrey.
The bottom of the sixth saw the Commodores bat around, scoring seven runs on seven hits. Johnston singled to lead things off, his first of two hits in the inning.
Five consecutive singles from Barczi, Holcomb, Mancini and Humphrey and Vastine produced five runs. Johnston roped a double off the wall in center to score two more and put Vandy up 14-1.
Ginther took over on the mound in the seventh and preserved the run-rule victory with three strikeouts.
Vanderbilt improves to 10-3 on the season and will host Xavier this weekend for a three-game series beginning Friday at 4:30 p.m.
