NASHVILLE, Tenn.– #1 Vanderbilt (6-1) scored five unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull away from Southeast Missouri (5-3), 11-3, Tuesday at Hawkins Field.
It was a three-run game with Vanderbilt ahead, 6-3, before the Commodores took advantage of a two-out error, had four hits and walked twice in the eighth.
JJ Bleday and Philip Clarke singled, and Stephen Scott walked to load the bases. Following a Pat DeMarco strikeout, Bleday scored on an error. On the next play, Jayson Gonzalez singled and Clarke scored. A Justyn-Henry Malloy walk and two-RBI single by Cooper Davis widened the Commodores lead to 11-3.
SEMO got within two runs after Vanderbilt took a 5-0 lead early on.
In the top of the fourth inning,
Connor Basler was hit by a pitch and stole two bases to get to third. With runners at the corners following a
Wade Stauss walk,
Turner Fritts hit an infield single and Basler scored.
Austin Blazevic drove in Stauss on an ensuing base hit up the middle.
Andrew Keck then walked to load the bases ending Zach King's day on the mound. Ethan Smith entered the game with the bases loaded and walked
Alex Nielsen as SEMO sliced Vanderbilt's lead to 5-3.
SEMO starting pitcher
Austin Sachse (1-1) exited the game after allowing five runs on seven hits and walking two in just 1.1 innings. Sachse threw 51 pitches in his short outing.
The Redhawk bullpen kept the Commodores off the scoreboard for four innings until they scored an unearned run off another error in the seventh.
SEMO's relievers did not allow an earned run and combined for six strikeouts in the final 6.2 innings of the contest.
Aaron Stretch had a team-high three strikeouts in two innings.
Ethan Smith (1-0) picked up his first win of the season in relief. Smith allowed two hits and a walk in 2.2 scoreless innings. He recorded four strikeouts, as well.
The Redhawks had eight hits with Blazevic and
Alex Nielsen finishing with two apiece. Basler, Stauss, Fritts and
Peyton Faulkner followed with one each.
Vanderbilt registered 16 hits, including a total of nine from the first three hitters in its lineup. Davis went 4-for-6 with a run scored and two RBI, Austin Martin was 2-for-6 with a run scored, home run and one RBI, and Bleday went 3-for-5 with two RBI, three runs scored and a home run.
SEMO returns to Cape Girardeau to host Purdue Fort Wayne in a three-game series beginning Friday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m., CT, at Capaha Field.
