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Rocker, Commodores ease past LSU on Thursday

Vanderbilt’s Kumar Rocker pitched six innings of eight-strikeout, one-run ball as the Commodores thumped homesteading LSU, 13-1, at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., on Thursday evening.

Kumar Rocker helped Vandy to a 13-1 win in Baton Rouge.
Kumar Rocker helped Vandy to a 13-1 win in Baton Rouge. (Vanderbilt athletics)

Rocker left after 89 pitches and an 11-1 lead as the Commodores exploded for 17 hits. The right-hander has won all seven of his starts this year.

Sam Hliboki threw the final three innings for his second save.

First baseman Dominic Keegan continued his torrid pace, smacking two hits and four RBIs. Third baseman Jayson Gonzalez had a team-leading hits, scoring two and driving in two, while left fielder Cooper Davis had two hits and two RBIs.

Vanderbilt ended the night in a tie with Ole Miss at the top of the SEC standings with a 6-1 record after the Rebels dropped their opener at Florida.

Vanderbilt had trouble with LSU right-hander Landon Marceaux early, with Gonzalez's single that scored Isaiah Thomas providing the only run through four innings.

But Gonzalez doubled in Thomas with nobody out in the fifth to spark a big inning. Bradfield singled and then Carter Young added a bunt single to load the bases.

Keegan then punched a pitch off the plate to right field for a two-RBI single. DH Jack Bulger hit a fly ball to deep right to plate the inning's fourth run.

The 'Dores added four more in the sixth and two in each of the seventh and the ninth, highlighted by Keegan's two-RBI double in the sixth.

Marceau had allowed just five runs (one earned) all year in 35 innings coming in. But the Commodores hit the right-hander for nine runs (eight earned) in 5 1/3 frames.

LSU's only run came on freshman star Dylan Crews's RBI single off Rocker in the sixth.

The teams play again on Friday at 8 Central, with Vandy's Jack Leiter opposing LSU's Jaden HIll on the mound.

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