UK takes 8-5 loss in opening round of SEC Tournament

Vanderbilt roared back with a four-run sixth inning to defeat Kentucky 8-5 at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on Tuesday, eliminating the Wildcats from the opening round of the SEC Baseball Tournament.

Hoover, AL — For the first five innings, the Wildcats did almost everything right, jumping out to a commanding 4-1 lead behind a solo home run from Tyler Bell, another solo blast from Carson Hansen, and steady pitching from ace Jaxon Jelkin. However, the wheels fell apart for Kentucky in the bottom of the sixth. After an uncaught third-strike foul tip extended the inning, Vanderbilt capitalized with four consecutive singles to tie the game before taking a 5-4 lead off a costly UK throwing error.

The Commodores added insurance in the eighth when Rustan Rigdon stole third and scored on a wild throw, followed by a crushing two-run homer from Brodie Johnston to push the deficit out of reach. Though the Wildcats showed life in the ninth with an RBI single from O. Jenkins, the late rally fell short. The loss drops Kentucky to a 31-21 record, leaving the Wildcats to wait anxiously over the next week to find out their NCAA Tournament fate.