Vanderbilt (15-5, 2-0 SEC) took the Southeastern Conference opening series from Ole Miss (14-5, 0-2 SEC) with its second win of the weekend on Friday night, this time with a final score of 8-0.
The two teams wrap up the series on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Vandy starter Hunter Owen recorded a two hit, 11 strikeout, one walk complete game win. He moved to 2-0 with the victory.
Ole Miss left a couple of runners stranded in the top of the first inning. Rebel starter Grayson Saunier had a good beginning with a runner stranded in the bottom of the first.
After the Rebels got a one-out single from Reagan Burford in the second but nothing else, Saunier allowed a couple of runners on first and second with two outs before getting Jonathan Vastine to strike out.
Moving to the third, Owen made quick work of three Rebel hitters with a fly out, a strikeout, and a ground out.
Enrique Bradfield led off the bottom of the fourth with a single to left off Saunier but later tried to steal second and was called out. Saunier worked his way through and got Jack Bulger to strike out to move to the fourth.
Owen sat the Rebels down quickly one, two, three in the inning. Saunier got two quick outs but then gave up two singles back to back to Parker Noland and Matthew Polk. But the freshman righty got Vastine to strike out swinging.
In the top of the fifth, Burford flew out to left, followed by a TJ McCants strikeout and a Lege ground out to short.
A leadoff by Bradfield to the right field wall got something going for Vandy in the fifth. With one out, Bulger hit the first pitch he saw to left for a RBI single. Runners remained on first and second. RJ Austin then launched a three-run shot over the left field wall for a 4-0 Commodore lead. Chris Maldonado doubled in the left center gap, and Saunier gave way to Sam Tookonian.
The freshman finished with four runs on nine hits in four and a third with five strikeouts and two walks.
WIth Tookoian on the mound, Noland walked to put runners on first and second. Polk struck out, and Vastine walked. The bases were loaded with two outs. Bradfield then struck out to end the inning.
Vandy added a home run by RJ Schreck off Tookoian to build its lead to 5-0 after six complete. At seventh inning stretch time it was still 5-0 for Vanderbilt.
The Commodores added three runs in the eighth for an 8-0 lead. Tookian went three and two-thirds innings with four runs on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports
