NASHVILLE - The University of Dayton baseball team lost both games in its doubleheader at No. 1 Vanderbilt on Saturday. Dayton's record is now 1-6-1 on the season, but all six losses have come against teams ranked in the top 10 nationally. Vanderbilt is now 9-2 on the year with the pair of wins.
 
Dayton had an opportunity to take the lead late in the first game of the doubleheader, trailing just 2-1 and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, but Jay Curtis struck out to end the inning and Vanderbilt scored three runs in the bottom of the frame to give the Commodore lead some cushion.
 
Tyler Henry scattered five hits across seven innings of relief in the series finale and allowed just one run, but the Flyers offense couldn't get anything going and Vanderbilt won, 2-0.


SCORING SUMMARY
Game One (Vanderbilt 5, Dayton 1)
Bottom 2nd (Vanderbilt 1, Dayton 0
Pat DeMarco was hit by a pitch, then advanced to third on an Ethan Paul single to right. Ty Duvall hit a fly ball to center field, which was deep enough to score DeMarco for a sacrifice fly.
 
Bottom 6th (Vanderbilt 2, Dayton 0)
JJ Bleday opened the inning with a solo home run to right center.
 
Top 7th (Vanderbilt 2, Dayton 1)
Connor Echols walked to open the inning and Riley Tirotta singled through the left side with one out to give Dayton a pair of baserunners. Connor Wilson reached on a fielder's choice, which allowed Echols to move up to third and Benjamin Blackwell drove him in on the next at-bat with a single up the middle. Mitchell Garrity walked to load the bases, but a Jay Curtis strikeout ended the inning.
 
Bottom 7th (Vanderbilt 5, Dayton 1)
Tyler Jones struck out the first batter he faced in relief, but a single from Harrison Ray and Cooper Davis reaching on an error put two aboard for Vanderbilt and Austin Martin singled to drive home Ray. Davis would go on to score on a wild pitch and Martin scored on a Philip Clarke groundout.
 
Game Two (Vanderbilt 2, Dayton 0)
Bottom 2nd (Vanderbilt 1, Dayton 0)
A pair of walks and a base hit loaded the bases with no out for Vanderbilt, prompting Dayton to bring in Tyler Henry from the bullpen. The Commodores scored one on a sac fly, but Henry got the Flyers out of the inning without any additional damage.
 
Bottom 4th (Vanderbilt 2, Dayton 0)
Two consecutive singles to open the inning placed runners on the corners for Vanderbilt and the Commodores sent home the runner from third on a sac fly.


KEY STATS

• Game one starter Aaron Ernst posted an impressive line of 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 K, BB
• Benjamin Blackwell picked up his first career RBI with a single up the middle in the seventh inning.
• Jay Curtis had a single to center field in game one of the doubleheader to extend his hitting streak to six. The streak was snapped in the series finale.
• Blackwell had his first multi-hit outing with a 2-for-3 performance in the second game.
• Tyler Henry come on in relief in game two and was exception on the mound, scattering five hits across seven innings and allowing just one run, while issuing no walks.

UP NEXT

• Dayton is scheduled for five games in four days next week with four games at Woerner Field.
• The home opener for the Flyers will be Thursday, March 7 against Purdue Fort Wayne at 3:00 p.m. (ET).
• Dayton will take on Ohio on Friday, March 8 at 3:00 p.m. and then will host a doubleheader against Canisius the following day with game one scheduled for a noon start time.
• The weekend will conclude with a trip across the city to face Wright State in Fairborn on Sunday at 3:00 p.m.