BATON ROUGE — LSU jumped on Vanderbilt pitching early and often, as the second-ranked Tigers scored 15 runs in the first four innings and routed the Commodores, 18-2, to claim the rubber match of a three-game Southeastern Conference series Sunday at Alex Box Stadium.
Mercifully for the Commodores, the game was called in the bottom of the eighth to allow Vanderbilt to catch its connecting flight to Atlanta for the trip back to Nashville. LSU has scored more runs against the Commodores just twice in the 61-game series’ history, winning 19-5 in 1997 and 21-5 in 1991.
The Tigers (30-13-1, 14-7), who maintain their share of first place in the SEC, return to action on Tuesday night in a non-conference game against Southeastern Louisiana at 7 p.m. in Alex Box Stadium. LSU will visit Louisiana-Monroe on Thursday before starting a three-game SEC series at Alabama on Friday.
Leading the way for the Tiger onslaught was junior first baseman Bryan Moore. The Fort Lauderdale native tied an LSU single game record by getting five hits, going 5-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and six RBIs. Moore becomes the third Tiger to have two five-hit games in a single season,joining Wes Grisham in 1989 and Brad Cresse in 2000.
Moore got to bat in the seventh, but Bennett intentionally beaned Moore on the leg. Bennett was immediately ejected by home plate umpire David Savage, and Vandy coach Roy Mewbourne was also tossed, as Mewbourne had been warned about an earlier incident in which Todd Linden was hit.
The Tigers began the hit parade early and often, as LSU scored three first inning runs with two out. Moore’s RBI double got LSU on the board, as Mike Fontenot scored from second, then Linden hit his team-high 12th home run of the season to make it 3-0.
LSU added four more in the second, as Fontenot brought home the first run when he drew a bases-loaded walk, and after Wally Pontiff’s fielder’s choice scored another run, a double by Moore and a bases-loaded walk to Matt Heath gave the Tigers a commanding 7-0 lead.
Sean Luellwitz’ sacrifice fly in the third got Vandy (20-23, 7-14) on the board, but LSU quckly answered with two unearned runs in the bottom of the same inning, as a throwing error by Chris Broadus on Ray Wright’s ground ball eventually led to runs scoring on another Pontiff fielder’s choice and an RBI single by Moore.
David Raymer started LSU’s six-run barrage in the fourth with a two-out, two-run home run, his first round-tripper since February 25. Theriot and Fontenot followed Raymer with singles, then Pontiff’s infield hit plated Theriot. Moore then cleared the center field fence with a towering blast for a three-run home run.
The only negative for LSU came immediately after Moore’s home run when Linden was plunked on his left knee by a pitch from Vandy reliever Robert Ransom. After lying on the ground in pain for a few minutes, Linden was able to walk off under his own power and was replaced by Aaron Hill.
Hill made the Commodores pay on his first time at the plate in the sixth when he lined a three-run homer into the left field bleachers.