Zeller's Walk-Off Single in 11th Gives Vanderbilt 3-2 Win Over Austin Peay

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Matt Zeller went 2-for-5 with two RBI, including a 11th-inning walk-off single to left center field that scored Jonathan Douillard from second base as Vanderbilt edged Austin Peay 3-2, Tuesday, April 22 at Hawkins Field.

The win snaps the Commodores' three-game non-conference losing streak and improves their record to 20-19 overall. Austin Peay drops to 16-20-1 on the season.

Douillard led off the bottom of the 10th with a single to left field off Governors' reliever Jeff Mault (1-2). He moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Zach Simpson. Ryan Klosterman followed with a walk that put runners on first and second base for Zeller. Mault then suffered an injury and was replaced with a 0-2 count by fellow reliever Jake Lund. Zeller hit Lund's first pitch for the game-winning RBI.

Jeremy Sowers (4-4), who entered in the top of the 11th inning, picked up the win. He struck out two of the three batters he faced.

Commodore starter Blake Owen pitched well. He allowed only three hits, two runs (both earned) and two walks to go along with three strikeouts in seven-plus innings of work. He retired 13 consecutive batters from the second inning into the sixth.

Vanderbilt built a 2-0 lead only to see Austin Peay rally for two runs, on no hits, in the top of the eighth inning. James Ray walked and scored on a balk by VU reliever Matt Buschmann to trim Vanderbilt's lead to 2-1. Mitchell Turriglio tied the game at 2-2 when he scored two batters later on Ron Bethke's fielder's choice ground ball to Simpson at second base.

Tony Mansolino stretched his current hit streak to a career-high 11 games when his fourth-inning triple down the right-field line scored John Kaye from first base to give Vanderbilt a 1-0 lead.

The lead grew to 2-0 in the seventh when Zeller singled to left field to bring in Klosterman from second base.

Warner Jones, Klosterman and Kaye joined Zeller with two hits apiece against Austin Peay pitching. Klosterman has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games. Cesar Nicolas, the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, went 0-for-3 with a pair of walks. Mickey Kropf made his first start as a Commodore at third base, but was hitless at the plate.

Vanderbilt returns to SEC play this weekend when it welcomes Auburn to Hawkins Field for a three-game series beginning Friday at 7 p.m. The series continues Saturday at 4 p.m., and concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. Joe Fisher calls the play-by-play action on WNSR 560 AM radio Friday and Saturday. Sunday's contest will be televised live by Comcast Sports Southeast.