NASHVILLE – Indiana State baseball dropped its midweek matchup to No. 12 Vanderbilt 8-5 at rain-soaked Hawkins Field Wednesday night in Nashville.
 
Romero Harris and Dane Giesler led the way for the Trees at the plate. Giesler finished 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs and two RBI while Harris belted a home run and drove in three.
 
The Sycamores (5-3) wasted no time getting on the board as Harris opened the game with a three-run blast over the high wall in left field -- his fourth home run of the season. Clay Dungan scored on the homer after walking to open the game as well as Jarrod Watkins who singled.
 
Indiana State added another run in the fourth when Giesler hammered a ball to right-center to make it a 4-0 lead for the Trees.
 
Vanderbilt's offense began to click in the middle innings as the Dores scored one run in the fourth, two in the fifth and four in the sixth to take a 7-4 lead.
 
Vandy's Pat Demarco doubled in a run in the fourth and led off the fifth with a solo homer. Demarco finished 2-for-4 in the game with two RBI and a run scored. Alonzo Jones led the Commodores at the plate with a 3-for-4 night, including the go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning.
 
Giesler sparked the Sycamores in the eighth with a solo home run to right -- his second of the night, but ISU would be held scoreless the remainder of the game.  
 
Sycamore starting pitcher Tyler Ward (1-1) was dominant throughout the outing, picking up a career high eight strikeouts in 5.2 innings. The Commodores scattered seven hits throughout the night on the junior.
 
Jake Ridgway entered for Ward in the fifth inning with two runners on and Vanderbilt wasted no time jumping on the freshman as Jones took the second pitch he saw deep for a three-run blast. Ridgway would get in a grove though, striking out three batters in 1.1 innings. Sophomore Tyler Grauer retired all three batters he faced in the eighth.
 
Indiana State scattered three hits and scored four runs on VU's starting pitcher Jake Eder as he picked up the no decision. Aaron Brown (1-0) was credited with the win after tossing two innings and giving up one hit while Reid Schaller picked up his first save of the season in two innings of work, striking out three.
 
The Sycamores return to action this weekend with a three-game series at Austin Peay. First pitch Friday is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET from Raymond C. Hand Park.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.