HOOVER, Ala. — Vanderbilt used a four-run sixth inning to defeat Kentucky, 8-5, in the first round of the SEC Tournament on Tuesday.
The Commodores trailed by three runs in the sixth before using four consecutive two-out singles to take the lead.
Alex Kranzler earned the win with 4.1 shutdown innings out of the bullpen. Kranzler held Kentucky to one run on one hit and struck out five.
Kentucky struck in the top of the first with a double by Tyler Bell followed by an RBI single off the bat of Luke Lawrence.
The Wildcats made it 2-0 with a solo homer by Bell in the top of the third.
Colin Barczi laced a one-out double in the bottom of the third and came around to score on an RBI single by Brodie Johnston to cut Kentucky’s lead in half.
Carson Hansen extended Kentucky’s advantage back to two with a solo home run in the top of the fourth. Lawrence made it 4-1 with a two-out RBI double in the fifth.
Vanderbilt’s sixth-inning rally started with a two-out walk to Logan Johnstone. Tommy Goodin, Ryker Waite, Rustan Rigdon and Barczi tallied four straight singles to score three runs and tie the game at 4-4.
An error by Kentucky allowed Rigdon to come home and score the go-ahead run to cap the comeback.
The Dores added on in the eighth. After stealing second, Rigdon stole third and scored after the throw went into left field. A one-out single by Korbin Reynolds brought Brodie Johnston to the dish. Johnston blasted his 15th home run of the season to put Vandy up 8-4.
The Wildcats got a run back in the ninth but Kranzler registered his fifth strikeout to end the game.
The Commodores advance to the second round and will face Florida at approximately 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
