Vanderbilt Earns 5-4 Win Against
East Tennessee State in Home Opener

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - In his first collegiate start freshman left-hander Ryan Mullins scattered three hits and struck out six in six innings of work and Warner Jones went 3-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored as Vanderbilt topped East Tennessee State, 5-4, Tuesday, Feb. 18, at Hawkins Field.

The win came in Vanderbilt's home opener and moved the Commodores' record to 2-1 while East Tennessee State suffered its first loss of the season to slip to 2-1.

East Tennessee State scored two runs on two hits off Mullins (1-0) in the first inning. Andy Howdeshell led off the game with a double to right center field and scored from third base two batters later when Blake Church grounded out to shortstop. The next ETSU batter, Chad Boruff walked, took second on a passed ball and scored on Caleb Moore's RBI single to right field.

Mullins then settled down, allowed only one additional hit and retired seven in a row on two separate occasions before leaving the game.

Vanderbilt cut the 2-0 deficit in half in the bottom of the first when Ryan Klosterman led off the frame with a walk and later scored on a balk by ETSU starter Mike Bauer (0-1). The Commodores took a 3-2 lead after two innings when Rucker Taylor scored Jones from third base on a RBI single off the third base bag and Jonathan Douillard singled and later scored on Bauer's second balk of the game.

Vanderbilt pushed the lead to 5-2 in the fifth inning thanks to RBI singles by Jones and Klosterman.

ETSU moved to within 5-3 in the seventh when VU reliever Jeff Sues entered the game and walked Bo Calloway who later scored on a RBI ground out by Howdeshell.

Commodore reliever Matt Buschmann entered the game in the ninth. He surrendered a one-out double to Shane Byrne. ETSU pinch hitter Davis Burklin scored Byrne on the following play with a RBI single to left field. Burklin, however, tried to stretch the hit into a double and was thrown out at second base. Buschmann then struck out Howdeshell looking to earn his first save of the season.

Besides Jones, three other Commodores registered at least two hits in the game, including Matt Zeller, Klosterman and Taylor.

Vanderbilt concludes its two-game series with East Tennessee State, Wednesday at 3 p.m. VU's starter has not been determined while ETSU will go with freshman right-hander Jeremy Hall (0-0).