NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — The Vanderbilt Commodores erupted for 19 hits and used a dominant pitching performance from six hurlers to overwhelm the Lipscomb Bisons 15-1 in a nonconference baseball game Tuesday night at Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium.

The game was effectively decided in the first inning as Vanderbilt’s offense immediately capitalized on a Lipscomb mistake. After a leadoff out, Johnston singled and then advanced to second on a throwing error by Lipscomb pitcher J. Trautner on a failed pickoff attempt. Logan Johnstone followed with the first of his four hits, a single to left field, to drive in the unearned run and set the tone for the evening.

Vanderbilt steadily built its lead. Rustan Rigdon launched a solo home run to right field, measuring 351 feet, in the second inning. The Commodores added single runs in the third and fourth innings, the latter coming on another RBI single from Johnstone.

The most important sequence of the game came in the top of the seventh inning, which extinguished any lingering doubt. With Vanderbilt already leading 6-0, Johnston was hit by a pitch. Logan Johnstone then stepped in and delivered the decisive blow, a two-run homer to right-center field that traveled 384 feet, pushing the lead to 8-0. Johnstone finished 4 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs, breaking out of a minor slump after going a combined 2 for 15 in his previous four games.

The Commodores put the game completely out of reach with a six-run ninth inning, highlighted by a two-run pinch-hit home run from Aukai Kea. Pinch-hitter Whitcomb added a two-run single, and another run scored on a wild pitch.

While the offense provided ample support, Vanderbilt’s pitching staff was nearly untouchable. Starter Connor Hamilton and relievers Aiden Stillman, Tristan Bristow, Jakob Schulz and Jacob Faulkner each threw at least one scoreless inning without allowing a hit. The only blemish was a solo run charged to Alex Kranzler in the sixth inning on a double by Lipscomb’s C. Pruitt.

Lipscomb managed only five hits total and struck out 15 times against Vanderbilt pitching. Cameron Guise provided a brief bright spot for the Bisons, recording the final out in the ninth inning with two strikeouts.

The victory improved Vanderbilt’s record to 22-16, while Lipscomb fell to 15-18. The result far exceeded the projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 7-4 Vanderbilt win. The Commodores’ ELO win probability was 82.5%.

Vanderbilt now looks ahead to a Southeastern Conference series at Kentucky beginning Friday. Lipscomb will travel to face North Alabama for an Atlantic Sun Conference series starting the same day.