NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt used a strong start from Kevin Ziomek to shut out San Diego 7-0 Friday night at Hawkins field.
Ziomek (2-1) dominated the Toreros (11-4) over eight innings to earn his second win of the season allowing just three hits. The lefty struck out five of the first nine batters he faced and only allowed two runners to reach second base over his career-best eight innings. He worked out of a jam in the second after the leadoff hitter reached on an error; Ziomek induced two fly outs and a strikeout to end the threat. In the fourth, he again allowed the leadoff hitter to reach this time on a walk but a double play on a 3-0 pitch along with his sixth strikeout finished the frame. Ziomek’s night came to an end after the eighth when he worked his third 1-2-3 inning.
The Vanderbilt (5-8) offense jumped on San Diego early scoring two runs in the first inning on two hits and an error. The Toreros’ first error led to the Dores first run and Chris Harvey’s RBI-groundout scored the second. The Commodores later put the game away with rallies in the seventh and eighth innings. In the seventh, VU scored three runs. Kemp’s single extended his hitting streak to 10 games and ignited the rally. After an Anthony Gomez single, Mike Yastrzemski scored Kemp on an infield single to push the Dores’ lead to three runs. Conrad Gregor reached base for the third time on his single to the shortstop to score a run and Harvey set a career-high with his second RBI of the night, plating Yastrzemski on a sacrifice fly. Four more hits in the eighth led to the final two runs on RBI-singles from Kemp and Yastrzemski.
The Commodores posted 12 hits on the night led my Yastrzemski’s 3-for-4 performance with two RBI. Kemp and Gomez each added two hits in the win. Corey LeVeier led the Toreros with two of the team’s four hits. San Diego starter Calvin Drummond took the loss allowing four runs, two earned, on six hits over 6.1 innings.
The shutout victory is the second of the season for the Commodores after posting an 8-0 win over Rhode Island in the second game of a doubleheader last weekend.
Vanderbilt and San Diego play tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Hawkins Field. Right-hander Drew VerHagen (2-0) gets the ball for Vandy against Toreros’ right-hander Paul Sewald (1-0).
