Bullpen helps Vandy past TCU on Sunday in LA
Fifteenth-ranked Vanderbilt's bullpen threw seven innings without allowing an earned run, as the Commodores beat No. 8 TCU, 7-4, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon.
The Commodores had a five-run lead after an inning and a half, but starter Jackson Gillis was ineffective, giving up three-run homer in the second, and was removed after facing one batter in the third.
Vandy's Patrick Raby came on to hold the Horned Frogs to one run (it was unearned), and Zach King and Reid Schaller each threw a scoreless inning.
Jayson Gonzalez and Connor Kaiser each had big two-RBI singles for VU (12-4).
The Commodores drew first blood. Martin singled, stole second, then, came home on DeMarco's single off TCU starter Nick Lodolo.
Lodolo hit Paul with a pitch to load the bases. Kaiser followed with a two-RBI single to center.
In the second, Gonzalez added a two-out, two-RBI single to left on a 3-2 pitch.
But Gillis gave that back, and more, by giving up a single, a walk, then, a three-run homer to No. 8 hitter Conner Shepherd in the bottom of the frame.
The Horned Frogs picked up a run on a ground-out, then, Vandy countered with runs on a balk and a wild pitch in the seventh, with Julian Infante and Pat DeMarco adding singles at various points in the inning.
Raby ran into trouble in the seventh, giving up a triple and a walk, but wound up striking out the side to get out of the jam with a three-run lead.
Vandy added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh, and closed it out from there.
The Commodores return home to face Eastern Kentucky (5-11) on Tuesday.
That will snap a string of seven straight games away from Hawkins Field, before a trip to open Southeastern Conference play at Mississippi State next weekend.
NOTES
Catcher Stephen Scott threw out the trail runner on a double steal to end the TCU second, and gunned down a runner stealing second to end the sixth.
Martin started at DH.
VU ranked 15th in the RPI as of about 4:45 Central on Sunday afternoon.
SCORING SUMMARY
VU 1: DeMarco single to left scored Martin. VU, 1-0
VU 1: Kaiser single to center scored Bleday, DeMarco. VU, 3-0
VU 2: Gonzalez single scored Infante, DeMarco. VU, 5-0
TCU 2: Shepherd home run to right scored Oviedo, Balta. VU, 5-3
TCU 5: Landestoy ground-out scored Humphreys. VU, 5-4
VU 6: Infante scored on balk. VU, 6-4
VU 7: Martin scored on wild pitch. VU, 7-4