NASHVILLE, Tenn. — No. 5 Vanderbilt swept No. 15 Kentucky with a 3-2 win on a walk-off single by Alan Espinal on Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Field.
Espinal drove the game-winning hit to the gap in left-center, plating Matthew Polk as the Commodores scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to overcome a 2-1 deficit.
ALAN. ESPINAL. 👀#VandyBoys | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/XND5Mhl94Y
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) April 30, 2023
Vanderbilt’s offense was held in check most of the day but came through in the final inning. Parker Noland got things started with a single and Polk doubled to left to put the tying run on third and the winning run on second.
Noland scored on an infield single by Jonathan Vastine to bring Espinal to the plate in a 2-2 game, setting up the walk-off winner.
The Dores are now 13-2 against the Wildcats in the last 15 regular season meetings.
Kentucky put its first two batters on base in the top of the first and scored the game’s first run on a sac fly.
The score remained 1-0 in favor of Kentucky until the bottom of the fourth. Chris Maldonado singled through the left side and then scored all the way from first on a double down the third base line from Matthew Polk to even the score at 1-1.
The Wildcats pulled back in front in the top of the sixth. Kentucky singled three times in the frame but were held to just one run, going back on top 2-1.
Devin Futrell turned in a quality start for the Commodores, allowing two runs over six innings. Jack Anderson (W, 1-0) picked up the win after tossing a scoreless ninth inning.
Vanderbilt improves to 32-11 (16-5 SEC) and hosts Georgia State at 6 p.m. Tuesday night at Hawkins Field on SECN+.
