NASHVILLE, Tenn.. – No. 19 Kentucky rallied for three runs in the sixth inning to erase a one-run deficit and held on to take the series opener 4-2 over No. 7 Vanderbilt at Hawkins Field Friday night.
Commodores’ (21-, 3-4) starter Tyler Beede struggled with command most of the night and it showed in the top of the sixth when the right-hander hit the leadoff batter and followed up with a walk to put two on with no outs. The hit batter and walk ended Beede’s night and summoned freshman Hayden Stone from the bullpen. Wildcats’ (19-7, 4-3) first baseman Thomas Bernal greeted Stone with a single to load the bases for Matt Reida, who singled up the middle to tie the game 2-2. Kyle Barrett’s fielder’s choice put the Cats in front and Austin Cousino’s single pushed the advantage to two runs.
Given the two-run lead Kentucky starter A.J. Reed responded with a 1-2-3 sixth inning before working the seventh and eighth innings and allowing only one base runner. Reed picked up the win with eight solid innings allowing two runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts. Kyle Cody worked a perfect ninth to notch his first save of the season.
Vanderbilt jumped on the board in the first with a RBI-single from Rhett Wiseman and looked to be in business in the fourth inning when three straight Dores reached base with one out. A sacrifice fly from Dansby Swanson broke up a tie game and gave VU back the lead but the Commodores settled for only one run when Jason Delay was thrown out at home for the third out of the inning after Xavier Turner singled to center field.
Beede took the loss allowing three runs on five hits, three walks and three hit batters over five-plus innings. Stone tossed the final four frames allowing one run on six hits with six strikeouts. Chris Harvey had two hits to lead the Commodores. Turner pushed his hitting streak to 14 games with his single in the sixth and Swanson has now reached base in all 27 games this season, reaching base twice Friday night. Cousino paced the Wildcats with three hits.
Vanderbilt and Kentucky resume the series tomorrow at 2 p.m. with lefty Jared Miller on the mound for the home team against Kentucky right-hander Chandler Shepherd.
