Martin leads VU past Carolina in Sunday's Game 1

Vanderbilt third baseman Austin Martin had three hits, three runs and three RBIs, leading the Commodores to a 9-3 victory over South Carolina at Founder’s Park in Columbia, S.C., in the first game of a seven-inning game on Sunday afternoon.

Right fielder J.J. Bleday and catcher Philip Clarke each knocked in a pair of runs for Vanderbilt (37-9, 17-6 Southeastern Conference).

Starting pitcher Kumar Rocker (6-4) was the winning pitcher. He went 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven and walking one, while Tyler Brown picked up his 10th save.

Martin had key hits in the fifth, sixth and seventh, helping the Commodores break open a tie game.

With the game tied at three in the fifth, Martin led off with a single to left and Bleday walked on a 3-2 pitch. A double steal moved each up a base and then Clarke’s sacrifice fly to right scored the go-ahead run.

In the sixth, left fielder Stephen Scott led off with a bloop single over short and took second on Harrison Ray’s sacrifice bunt.

Carolina brought in closer Brett Kerry, and Martin greeted him with a first-pitch, ground-rule double that bounced over the wall in left center to make it a two-run lead.

In the seventh, Martin ripped a two-out, bases-loaded single to left for two more, then, Bleday hit a ball to center that just missed leaving the yard. Bleday ended up with a stand-up triple, and the Commodores, a six-run lead.

Vanderbilt out-hit South Carolina, 9-5, but grounded into double plays to end the first and second and left nine on base compared to Carolina’s five.

Game 2 of the doubleheader is scheduled to start around 1:15 Central.

Brown moved into a tie for fourth on VU's single-season saves list.

Pitch counts for the weekend:

South Carolina:

Morgan: 100

Lloyd: 72

Hinson: 62

Harley: 52

Bridges: 33

Ganopulos: 16

Kerry: 8

Vanderbilt:

Fellows: 97

Rocker: 86

Smith: 54

King: 37

Brown: 21

S2: Eyster double to right center scored Olson. S, 1-0

S2: Cullen sacrifice fly to right scored Eyster. S, 2-0

V3: Infante and Martin scored when Paul reached on error. Tied-2

V3: Clarke single to second scored Bleday. V, 3-2

S4: Eyster homer to right center. Tied-3

V5: Clarke sacrifice fly to right scored Martin. V, 4-3

V6: Martin ground-rule double to left-center scored Scott. V, 5-3

V7: Martin single to left scored Scott, Thomas. V, 7-3

V7: Bleday triple to center scored Martin, Ray. V, 9-3