Vanderbilt Baseball Splits Doubleheader with Cincinnati; Adds Game with Murray State For Tuesday at 3 p.m.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Vanderbilt baseball team split a doubleheader with Cincinnati, winning game one 3-1, then dropping game two 7-2, Sunday, Feb. 23, at Hawkins Field. With the split Vanderbilt moves its record to 4-2 overall, while Cincinnati is 3-7 on the season.

Vanderbilt baseball also announced the addition of a game to this week’s schedule. The Commodores will play Murray State Tuesday at 3 p.m., at Hawkins Field. Vanderbilt also plays Belmont (2/26), Rutgers (2/28), Kent State (3/1) and Kansas (3/2) at home this week.

The Vanderbilt pitching staff limited Cincinnati to four hits in the first game to help propel the Commodores to the win. Right-hander Robert Ransom (1-0) pitched six strong innings as the starter, allowing only two hits and one earned run while striking out four. Three other Commodores pitched one inning apiece to close out the win, including John Scott, Jensen Lewis and Matt Buschmann. Buschmann pitched the ninth and registered his second save of the season.

After UC’s Drew Saylor hit a RBI double in the second inning put the Bearcats ahead 1-0, Vanderbilt rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Worth Scott started the comeback with a one-out double to right field. Warner Jones followed with a RBI double down the left-field line to plate Scott. After Jones moved to third base on a single to left field by Matt McGraner, Jones scored on a RBI ground out by Rucker Taylor.

The Commodores added an insurance run in the fifth when Taylor singled to left, stole second and scored on a RBI double by Cesar Nicolas.

Bearcat starter Kyle Markle (0-3) took the loss, pitching seven innings while giving up seven hits and three earned runs to go along with a walk and a strikeout.

Cincinnati did not allow a comeback in game two of the doubleheader, jumping ahead 5-0 before Vanderbilt could get on the scoreboard. Vanderbilt starter Ryan Mullins (1-1) was roughed up for three runs in the second inning when the Bearcats took advantage of a throwing error by Tony Mansolino and followed with four hits. Aaron Moll singled in Brad Dorrmann and Justin Niefer and later scored himself on a RBI single by Mark Muscenti.

The Bearcats went ahead 5-0 in the fifth when Mullins was called for a balk with runners on second and third base, scoring Dorrmann. Steve Pickerell then followed with a RBI double down the left-field line to score Niefer.

The Commodores got on the board in the fifth inning when Ryan Klosterman hit his first home run of the season over the left field wall.

UC first baseman Jon DeLuca put Cincinnati ahead 7-1 with RBI singles in the sixth and eighth innings, scoring Moll and Pickerell, respectively.

Vanderbilt managed to score one additional run in the eighth when John Kaye hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Klosterman from third base.

Cincinnati starter Nat Bouldin (3-1) pitched seven innings and earned the win. He scattered seven hits and allowed only one earned run while striking out four.

Commodore relievers Jeff Sues, Blake Owen and John Scott also saw action in game two. Sues recorded the longest outing in relief, throwing 3.2 innings while striking out seven.