Group pitching effort leads Vanderbilt past Evansville

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Vanderbilt won its home opener, knocking off Evansville by a 5-4 score at Hawkins Field on Wednesday afternoon.

Five Commodore pitchers combined to strike out 16 and walk two.

Freshman right-hander Chance Huff started for Vanderbilt. He went four innings, striking out five and walking one, while giving up four hits and two runs, both earned.

Jake Eder pitched a scoreless ninth and got a save while striking out two.

Third baseman Jayson Gonzalez homered and knocked in two runs for Vanderbilt (3-1).

Vanderbilt struck out just four times and out-hit Evansville, 11-9, but left 14 on.

With the game tied at four in the sixth, second baseman Austin Martin tripled to center and scored on David Ellis’s wild pitch.

The Purple Aces (1-3) threatened in the eighth after Hugh Fisher hit a batter and gave up a two-out single. But Tyler Brown came on to strike out pinch hitter Pete Vaccaro on three pitches.

Evansville struck first when right fielder Troy Beilsmith and left fielder Nate Reeder lined doubles to start the second. A sacrifice fly plated a second run.

Vandy finally scored when Gonzalez crushed a 2-2 pitch from freshman right-hander Sam Steimel the opposite way for a homer to right.

Gonzalez provided the go-ahead run in the third when he walked on a 3-2 pitch from Steimel with the bases loaded. Just prior to that, catcher Ty Duvall lined a single through second to score the tying run.

But Evansville battled back, scoring twice in the top of the sixth to tie the game at four. Vandy’s Ethan Smith struggled to stay ahead in counts and was replaced by Fisher, who gave up a line-drive single to Reeder and then a ground-out to allow those runs.

Evansville freshman Shane Gray made his collegiate debut, one of three freshmen to throw for the Purple Aces. He started and threw two scoreless innings.

Huff sat 91-92 with his fastball in the first. He retired the side in order on 13 pitches, including a strikeout.

Smith sat 91-92 with his fastball in his first inning.

Fisher was sitting 94-95 with his fastball, but his slider was his best pitch.

Eder sat 94-96 with his fastball.

Duvall, getting his first start at catcher this season, threw a runner out stealing second in the fourth.

Paul stole second in the fifth, VU’s first stolen base this season.

Vandy left the bases loaded in the fourth, fifth and seventh.

Vanderbilt has honored the late David Williams with a “DW” in front of the center field flag pole, just to the left of the “41” that honors Donny Everett.

Temperature was in the mid-50s with a mist at the start.

Paid attendance was announced at 2,665.

E2: Borgstron double past first off Huff scored Beilsmith. E, 1-0

E2: Troyer sacrifice fly to left off Huff scored Reeder. E, 2-0

V3: Gonzalez home run to right. E, 2-1

V4: Duvall single through second scored Clarke. T-2

V4: Gonzalez walk scored DeMarco. V, 3-2

V5: Scott’s double scored Bleday. V, 4-2

E6: Borgstron single to center off Fisher scored Beilsmith. V, 4-3

E6: Shepherd ground-out to third off Fisher scored Reeder. T-4

V6: Martin scored on Ellis’s wild pitch. V, 5-4