NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Texas A&M scored seven runs in the first two innings off starter Bryce Cunningham in a 12-4 win over Vanderbilt at Hawkins Field on Saturday.
Texas A&M (27-15, 12-9) catcher Troy Claunch had four hits and drove in four, while Ryan Targac hit two home runs.
The Commodores hadn’t given up more than eight runs in a game all year, but the Aggies had nine with one out in the fifth. Two came on Targac's gargantuan home run off Nick Maldonado in the fifth, while the other seven came off Cunningham, who allowed six singles and four walks to the 15 hitters he faced.
Targac hit another one off Grayson Moore in the eighth that smile over the batter's eye in center.
Calvin Hewett's two-run, first-ining home run was the day's highlight for Vanderbilt (29-13, 10-11 Southeastern Conference). After that, Vandy didn't do much against Aggie lefty Joseph Menefee, who entered in the second, threw 5 1/3 innings, allowed just six base runners (none for extra bases) and just one run with nine strikeouts.
Texas A&M (27-15, 12-9) catcher Troy Claunch had four hits and drove in four.
Vanderbilt had won its last two series, but lost this one by virtue of a 5-1 defeat on Friday.
Cunningham loaded the bases in the first with a pair of walks and an infield single, the latter a play on which Carter Young kept the ball in the infield and likely prevented a run from scoring.
But it didn't matter. Cunningham then fell behind 2-0 to Claunch, who singled to right on a 2-2 pitch to score two. The freshman got out of that with a 94-mile-an-hour fastball to strike out Targac.
But Vandy got even and then some—all with two outs—in the bottom of the inning off Brad Rudis. Dominic Keegan singled through third to score Enrique Bradfield Jr. and then Hewett connected with a home run over the short wall in left for a 3-2 lead.
But it fell apart for Cunningham in the second, with four singles and two walks producing four runs, and Maldonado allowed a single over short to the first hitter he faced to cap a five-run inning.
From there, Menefee took over, giving Vandy fits between his low-90s fastball and low-80s off-speed stuff.
Vanderbilt faces Louisville on Tuesday at 6 Central at Hawkins Field.
Scoring summary
TAM 1: Claunch single scored Kaler, Rock. TAM, 2-0
VU 1: Keegan single through third scored Bradfield. TAM, 2-1
VU 1: Hewett homer to left scored Keegan. VU, 3-2
TAM 2: Moss singl to center scored Werner. Tied-3
TAM 2: Bost single to center scored Kaler. TAM, 4-3
TAM 2: Claunch single over short scored Moss and Bost. TAM, 6-3
TAM 2: Targac single over short scored Minnich. TAM, 7-3
TAM 5: Targac home run to center scored Claunch. TAM, 9-3
VU 6: Kolwyck ground ball (reached on error) scored Jones from third. TAM, 9-4
TAM 8: Targac home run to center scored Bost and Claunch. TAM, 12-4