Sixth-inning home runs from Pat DeMarco and Connor Kaiser gave Vanderbilt a lead, and relievers Reid Schaller and Zach King held on to it, as Vanderbilt finally snapped a five-game, mid-week losing streak with a 3-2 win over Western Kentucky in Nashville at Hawkins Field on Tuesday night.
Commodore pitchers held the Hilltoppers to five hits, while striking out a dozen men. Once Vandy had the lead, Schaller (one inning) and King (two) combined to retire WKU in order.
Vanderbilt (20-13) faces No. 5 Ole Miss in a three-game series at Hawkins Field, starting Friday. The Commodores enter Friday on a three-game winning streak.
VU struggled again out of the gate, stranding six in the first four innings.
Western, meanwhile, broke through in the top of the fifth.
After Vandy's Hugh Fisher walked his first hitter and hit the second, Harrison Ray booted a potential double-play grounder at third, allowing a run to score.
With two outs, Richard Constantine lined a single to right that DeMarco just missed catching on the fly, allowing the Hilltoppers a 2-0 advantage.
Vandy finally got on the board in the top of the sixth, when DeMarco hammered an 0-2 pitch from Michael Martin over the big wall in left.
Stephen Scott then struck out on a wild pitch, but reached first. Kaiser then hit his first home run of the season on another hanging breaking ball from Martin, just into the bleachers in left.
WKU threatened early, when VU starter Jake Eder walked the bases loaded to start the third. But Aaron Brown relieved him, striking out two and then getting a fly ball to center to escape without damage.
NOTES
Vandy improved to 3-6 in one-run games.
Vanderbilt left 11 men on base and hit .300 on balls in play.
Austin Martin started at first, Ray, at third, and Scott, in left.
Martin and Kaiser each reached base three times.
The Commodores threw 129 pitches, with 79 going for strikes.
SCORING SUMMARY
WKU 5: Ray fielding error scored Brunson. WKU, 1-0
WKU 5: Constantine single to right scored Rhinesmith. WKU, 2-0
VU 6: DeMarco homer to left. WKU, 2-1
VU 6: Kaiser homer to left scored Scott. VU, 3-2
