Baseball: Vanderbilt 12, Long Beach St. 2

Nashville, Tenn. - Vanderbilt started slowly before demolishing Long Beach State 12-2 Saturday afternoon at a chilly Hawkins Field to clinch the series.

For the second straight day the Dirtbags (0-2) struck first, scoring a run in the third inning when Commodores' starter Tyler Beede walked in a run. The free run was foreshadowing but in a good way for the No. 2 Dores. Vanderbilt (2-0) moved into the lead with a three-run fifth and tacked on two more in the sixth before blowing the game open in the seventh inning. That's when the wheels fell off for Long Beach State's pitchers, as the Dirtbags' hurlers issued five walks and hit a batter forcing in five runs, eventually allowing seven runs in the inning. Vandy scored the first six runs of the inning without a hit before Conrad Gregor's single up the middle drove in the game's final run. On the afternoon, Long Beach State pitchers walked 10 Commodores.

The Vanderbilt offense again took advantage of mistakes turning two hits and two errors in the fifth into three runs to take the lead. Vince Conde opened the frame with a single but should have been forced out at second later in the inning if not for an error on LBSU shortstop Michael Hill. Jack Lupo knocked in Conde with a single and Xavier Turner crossed the plate after the center fielder mishandled the ball. Lupo, Gregor and Turner all had two RBI to pace the VU offense. Jeff McNeil, Juan Avila and Hill all had two hits to lead the Dirtbags.

Beede (1-0) earned his second career victory with five innings of work. The sophomore pitched in and out of jams after a 1-2-3 first inning. Beede stranded eight Dirtbags on the bases over his five frames getting clutch outs to end innings. He allowed one run on five hits and five walks with three strikeouts. Fellow sophomores Philip Pfeifer and Brian Miller followed and turned in a combined four innings of solid relief. Miller tossed 2.2 perfect innings in his 2013 debut. Long Beach State starter Shane Carle (0-1) was saddled with the loss allowing three unearned runs on three hits over five innings. The Dirtbags' bullpen was roughed up for nine runs and issued seven walks over the final four frames.

The Commodores go for the series sweep tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. at Hawkins Field. T.J. Pecoraro will be on the bump for the Dores against LBSU southpaw Landon Hunt.

                1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9  R   H E
LONG BEACH ST.  0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0  2-  8 4
VANDERBILT      0 0 0 0 3 2 7 0 X 12-  5 1

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