Vanderbilt Edges Middle Tennessee 5-2 4/23/02

Nashville, Tenn. - Vanderbilt scored two times in the fourth and fifth innings to edge Middle Tennessee 5-2 Friday, April 23, at Hawkins Field. The Commodores managed only four hits in the game while the Blue Raiders recorded 14 hits but left 13 men on base. The win is Vanderbilt's four straight against non-conference foes and improves its overall record to 18-18 on the season. Middle Tennessee slips to 21-20 overall.

Freshman right-hander Jeff Sues (4-1) registered the win, allowing eight hits but only two earned runs in five innings of work. He struck out four Blue Raiders. Freshman left-hander Jeremy Sowers pitched the ninth to earn his second save of the year.

Center fielder Karl Nonemaker registered one of Vanderbilt's four hits in the bottom of the first when he hit an infield single to third base. He stole second and third base and later scored when Cesar Nicolas was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give the Commodores a 1-0 lead.

The Commodores extended their lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning. Middle Tennessee starter Chris Mobley (3-4) gave up a bases-loaded walk to catcher Jonathan Douillard that forced in Nicolas. On the following play, Nonemaker hit into a bases-loaded fielder's choice RBI that scored second baseman Chris Broadus from third base.

Middle Tennessee pulled to within 3-2 in the top of the fifth when center fielder Chuck Akers singled in third baseman Brett Carroll and left fielder Justin Sims singled in Akers.

Vanderbilt scored its final two runs of the game in the fifth inning on a two-RBI single by Scott Shapiro. Broadus' fourth-inning double and Douillard's second-inning single accounted for the two other hits by Vanderbilt.

Commodore reliever Steven Faulkner pitched the sixth and seventh innings, giving up four hits, no earned runs and recording four strikeouts. Reliever Dean Bennett pitched the eighth, allowing two hits and a walk, but did not give up a run while striking out one.

Vanderbilt plays host to Mississippi State in a three-game Southeastern Conference series this weekend at Hawkins Field. Friday and Saturday's games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. with the series finale starting at 1 p.m. Hawkins Field will be officially dedicated prior to the start of Saturday's game. Several contributors to the stadium's construction, including Mr. Charles Hawkins, will take part in a ribbon-cutting and ceremonial first pitch in pregame festivities.