Liddle leads VU baseball to 7-2 victory over Vermont

Steven Liddle drove in four runs and was a home run short of the cycle as Vanderbilt defeated Vermont 7-2 at Hawkins Field on Friday.

Liddle’s two-run triple in the bottom of the seventh broke a 1-1 tie and carried the Commodores (3-3) to their second straight victory. The sophomore right fielder from Franklin drove a ball down the rightfield line and drove in Ryan Reynolds, who had singled, and Brian Harris, who had reached on an error.

Liddle then scored on a wild pitch to cap a three-run rally.

He finished 3-for-3 with one run scored. His sacrifice fly in the third gave VU a 1-0 lead, and his RBI double in the eighth capped the scoring. He also walked in the first and singled in the fifth.

Reynolds, the second baseman, and designated hitter Aaron Westlake each went 4-for-4 as the Commodores out-hit Vermont 13-6. Reynolds scored three runs.

Starting pitcher Mike Minor allowed two runs on six hits in 7.2 innings. He struck out four and walked three. Russell Brewer did not allow a base runner as he recorded the final four outs, three by strikeout.

The same teams are scheduled to continue their three-game series 2 p.m. Saturday at Hawkins Field.