NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt’s Logan Johnstone laced a walk-off, RBI single in the bottom of the 10th to lead Vanderbilt past No. 21 Tennessee, 3-2, in the series opener Friday night at Hawkins Field.
Johnstone, who hit a walk-off homer against LSU earlier this month, sent an 0-1 pitch through the left side with two outs and Cade Sears came around from second for the game-winning run.
Vanderbilt now has a walk-off hit in five of its last eight home SEC contests dating to last season.
The Commodores got on the board first on Friday with an RBI single by Brodie Johnston in the third inning.
Korbin Reynolds doubled the lead with a solo home run in the fifth, his third of the season.
Vandy starting pitcher Connor Fennell took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Tennessee scratched across a run.
Fennell went 7.1 innings and registered nine strikeouts, allowing one earned on three hits.
The Volunteers pulled even at 2-2 in the eighth and threatened to take the lead, but Brennan Seiber got an inning-ending double play to keep things even.
Both sides went down in order in the ninth to send the game into extras.
Tennessee hot the leadoff batter on in the 10th, but Reynolds cut him down on a stolen base attempt to eliminate the threat. The Vols then put runners on the corners with two outs, but again Seiber kept the game tied with a big strikeout.
Colin Barczi was hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom of the 10th and Sears came on as a pinch runner. Johnston singled into right field to move Sears to second.
Johnston tallied four hits in the game, a season-high for the Commodores.
With two outs, Johnstone delivered the game-winner, scoring Sears from second on a single past the shortstop into left-center field.
Vanderbilt improves to 15-12 (3-4 SEC) while No. 21 Tennessee falls to 18-8 (3-4 SEC). The Dores look to clinch the series Saturday at 1 p.m.
