KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
NASHVILLE, TENN. – The seventh ranked Vanderbilt Commodores took control early to defeat the Indiana State Sycamores 6-2 in a mid-week non-conference game played at Hawkins Field Tuesday. The start of the game was delayed nearly an hour by a steady drizzle.
Indiana State falls to 21-8 on the season as their four game winning streak came to a close. The Sycamores will move closer to home but still on the road for a Wednesday matchup in Bloomington, Ind., against in-state rival Indiana. First pitch for that game is 6 p.m. (ET). The Sycamores topped the Hoosiers 1208 in Terre Haute back on March 26.
Vanderbilt improved to 26-8 on the season.
Vanderbilt scored a pair of runs in the second and two more in the third to take a 4-0 lead over the Sycamores. The Commodores added two more runs in the fifth without the benefit of a hit.
Red shirt junior right fielder Jacob Hayes was a bright spot for Indiana State. The Terre Haute, Ind., native scored the Sycamores first run of the game when he sent the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for a solo home run to lead off the inning. The junior picked up his second RBI of the game in the eighth when he doubled down the right field line to score Landon Curry who had reached on a wild pitch after striking out.
Josh Lunsford (0-2) started for Indiana State and picked up the loss in working 2.2 innings. Josh Dove went 3.1 innings and A.J. McElderry went 2.0. The Sycamore pitchers combined to allow six runs, four earned, on eight hits while striking out five and walking three.
Jacob Hayes had a home run and a double to lead Indiana State at the plate while Jeff Zahn, Tyler Wampler, and Brian Romero had a single each.
In other action Tuesday: Evansville was the only winner among Missouri Valley Conference schools as they rolled past Oakland City 13-2 in a game called after seven innings; Illinois State lost at Northern Illinois as the Huskies scored twice in the bottom of the ninth; Missouri State fell to Missouri 9-4; Southern Illinois was edge 5-4 by Southeast Missouri State; Dallas Baptist lost to Texas Christian 7-1; and Wichita State fell at Kansas State 3-2.
