Vandy opens downing Ohio State 8-2 for 50th win of season

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Julian Infante hit a home run as seven different Commodores drove in a run apiece, and top-seeded Vanderbilt beat Ohio State 8-2 on Friday night in the Nashville regional of the NCAA Tournament.

The Commodores had lost their first four games all-time against Ohio State with all of those games played in Columbus. This time, the Buckeyes were the visitors and the fourth seed in the Nashville Regional. Now Ohio State, with an automatic bid as the lowest seed to win the Big Ten Tournament, faces McNeese, a 6-5 loser to No. 2 seed Indiana State, in an elimination game Saturday.

Drake Fellows (12-0) struck out nine throwing 116 pitches for the complete game, and Vanderbilt (50-10) became the first team to 50 wins this season.

Ohio State tied it at 2-all on a Conner Pohl home run in the second. Vanderbilt answered in the bottom of the inning with Stephen Scott scoring on a sacrifice fly by Harrison Ray and then Infante's homer.

Fellows struggled in the fourth with bases loaded and one out. He got Ridge Winand to fly out, then struck out Nick Erwin swinging to preserve the lead. Then Garrett Burhenn walked the first two Vandy batters he faced in the bottom of the fourth. The freshman also had two wild pitches, the second allowing Scott to score from third putting the Commodores up 6-2.