Vanderbilt blasts Duke on Opening Day

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Vanderbilt's pitching staff held Duke to three hits, and the offense exploded for eight runs between the fifth and sixth innings, as the Commodores cruised to an Opening Day, 9-1 victory over No. 25 Duke.

Vandy pitchers Drake Fellows and Jackson Gillis were wild--a combined five walks and four hit batsmen--but the Blue Devils struggled to square anything up. Gillis pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings and got a win.

The Commodores pounded out 15 hits. Freshman center fielder Pat DeMarco led the offense with three hits, and also reached on a walk. Left fielder Alonzo Jones, catcher Stephen Scott, second baseman Ethan Paul and designated hitter Philip Clarke each had three hits, and Paul and Clarke knocked in three runs.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Jones led off with a double and a steal, then motored home on Scott's line-drive single off starter Adam Laskey to tie the game.

DeMarco then grounded a double past third, forcing a pitching change to right-hander Hunter Davis.

After Davis walked shortstop Connor Kaiser on a 3-2 pitch, Paul snuck a grounder just past second and two runs scored.

A double play ground-out from Clarke, and a single by Jayson Gonzalez, scored two more.

It was a pitcher's duel early.

Vanderbilt got men in scoring position in each of the first three innings, but couldn't scratch.

Fellows didn't give up a hit until Chris Proctor reached on a soft infield single to third with two outs in the fourth.

He kept Duke off-balance with a slider and a change-up to that point, but things fell apart in the fifth after he walked two hitters and hit a man.

He then gave way to Gillis, who gave up a sacrifice fly to left to Duke All-American right fielder Griffin Conine for the game's first run.

Freshman Aaron Brown pitched the ninth for VU. He gave up a double to Conine.

The Commodores will start lefty Zach King in Saturday's game, which is scheduled to start at noon. Duke will counter with senior right-hander Ryan Day, who had a 3.30 ERA in 76 innings last year with 43 strikeouts.

Pitchers David Bates, Joe Gobillot and Michael Sandborn were not on the Opening Day roster. All are expected to take medical redshirts. The first two are true freshmen, and Sandborn, a sophomore.

Freshmen Aaron Brown, DeMarco, Gonzalez and Clarke made their collegiate debuts.

Sophomore Tyler Duvall, who's been hurt, caught the ninth.

Scott and Jones played catcher and outfield, respectively, for the first times in their college careers.

Gonzalez's first chance was a ground ball in the first that he turned into an inning-ending, 5-4-3 double play. He had an eighth-inning error on a ground ball that went between his legs.

DeMarco walked in his first plate appearance, and then stole second on Kaiser's strikeout. He got his first hit on a single up the middle his next trip.

Clarke made his debut as a pinch-hitter in the DH spot, which was initially listed as King. His first collegiate hit came in the sixth.

Vandy hit .441 on balls in play and struck out just three times.

Jones had Vandy's first hit of the season.

Duke's No. 1 starter, Mitch Stallings, won't pitch until Sunday due to a stomach ailment.

Fellows threw 69 pitches and Gillis, 61.

This was the first meeting in history between the schools.

Former VU basketball player and current New York Knick Luke Kornet threw out the first pitch.

Attendance was announced at 2,587.

DU 5: Conine sacrifice fly to left off Gillis scored Smiciklas. DU, 1-0

VU 5: Scott singles to center off Laskey, scoring Jones. T-1

VU 5: Paul singles past second off Davis, scoring Scott and DeMarco. VU, 3-1

VU 5: Clarke grounds into double play, Kaiser scores. VU, 4-1

VU 5: Gonzalez singles past short, Paul scores. VU, 5-1

VU 6: Paul sacrifice fly to left scored Scott. VU, 6-1

VU 6: Clarke single to shallow center scored DeMarco and Kaiser. VU, 8-1

VU 8: Clarke single scored Paul. VU, 9-1