HOOVER, Ala. — Vanderbilt’s run at back-to-back SEC Tournament titles came to an end Wednesday with an 8-3 loss to No. 18 Florida in the second round.
Florida totaled 14 hits including four from Blake Cyr and three each from Brendan Lawson and Hayden Yost. For Vanderbilt, Brodie Johnston paced the offense with a 2-for-5 day and a double.
Lawson opened the scoring with an RBI double in the bottom of the first. The Gators pushed a second run across on a groundout to jump out to a 2-0 lead.
A solo home run by Yost put Florida in front by three in the bottom of the second.
The Gators threatened to extend the lead in the third, but Matthew Shorey escaped a bases-loaded jam to keep the deficit at three.
The Commodores used a two-out rally in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 3-3. After a double by Brodie Johnston, Mike Mancini worked a walk. Braden Holcomb then roped a doubled to the gap in left, scoring both runners to pull Vanderbilt within a run.
Logan Johnstone followed with an RBI triple off the top of the wall in right-center to score Holcomb and pull the Dores even.
Florida jumped back in front in the home half of the inning on a two-run homer by Blake Cyr.
A two-run single in the bottom of the seventh put the Gators up by four and a solo homer by Lawson in the eighth made it 8-3.
Vanderbilt moves to 33-25 on the season. The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled for Monday at 11 a.m. CT.
