NASHVILLE – No. 4 Vanderbilt used a pair of back-to-back home runs, including a set to spark a four-run seventh inning, to sweep the University of Missouri with a 7-4 win on Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Field.
Mizzou (12-5, 0-3 SEC) jumped out to the early lead with a second-inning RBI from senior Mike Coletta. The Commodores (17-2, 3-0 SEC) responded with back-to-back homers in the third from Spencer Jones and Dominic Keegan. The Tigers bounced right back with a three-run fourth as Coletta once again put the black and gold on top with an RBI single.
The lead would hold until the seventh, when Vanderbilt used its second pair of long balls to pull ahead 5-4.
On the mound, Austin Marozas went 3.1 innings in the start, allowing three runs on six hits before hitting his pitch count. Junior Nathan Landry (1-1) did yeoman’s work to begin his relief outing, sitting down the first eight batters he faced until the decisive seventh inning. The southpaw took the loss allowing three runs in 2.2 innings while striking out four.
IMPACT INNING
Mizzou hit the stretch with a 4-3 lead but it lasted just three pitches as Tate Kolwyck and Carter Young went deep on back-to-back pitches to give Vanderbilt the lead. The ‘Dores scored another when a pickoff throw to first bounded out of play to build the lead to two and added more insurance on Dominic Keegan’s double.
TOP TIGERS
Mike Coletta: 2-for-3, 2 RBI
Ty Wilmsmeyer: 3-for-4
Torin Montgomery: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R
IN THE NOTES
- Mizzou left 10 runners on base in the loss.
- Torin Montgomery roped his team-leading seventh double of the season.
- Ross Lovich added his 12th RBI of the season with a single on Sunday.
- Wilmsmeyer matched his career high with three hits on the day.
- The Tigers fell to 4-25 all-time against Vanderbilt.
- Sophomore Ian Lohse worked a 1-2-3 inning in his return to SEC action.
FROM THE SKIP
Coach Bieser on the first weekend of SEC play…
“Obviously a disappointing series. We had some fight to us today, we wanted to get some things done, but we just left too many runners on base and just made too many mistakes to win against a very good ballclub… we’re going to go back home, we’re going to get to work and we’re going to face a very good Arkansas club. I expect us to be better against Arkansas than we were against Vandy.”
UP NEXT
Mizzou returns home to host No. 3 Arkansas in a three-game SEC set beginning Friday, March 25 at Taylor Stadium.
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