Vanderbilt uses big 6th and 9th to beat Kentucky 13-6, win weekend series
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Vanderbilt used six runs in both the sixth and ninth innings — and three home runs, including a grand slam from Will Hampton — to come away with a 13-6 win over Kentucky on Sunday.
The Commodores, who dropped the series opener on Friday before winning the next two, improved to 24-17 overall and 9-9 in the SEC. The Wildcats, who have now dropped five straight conference series, fell to 26-12 for the season and 8-10 in league play.
Vanderbilt trailed 3-1 after five innings before turning the tables on the Wildcats in the sixth, sending 11 men to the plate while scoring six times with the benefit of just two hits. After Brodie Johnston was hit by a pitch, Colin Barczi stepped up and hammered one over the wall in left field to tie it at 3-3.
Later, with the bases loaded and two out, Hampton ran the count full before launching a grand slam to right — his first career home run — to make it a 7-3 Commodores lead.
After a sacrifice flyout in the bottom of the frame cut the Vandy Boys’ lead to 7-4, Kentucky pulled within 7-6 on a pair of two-out RBI singles from Scott Campbell and Carson Hanson. But Johnson’s leadoff homer in the ninth touched off a six-run ninth inning that included run-scoring singles by Max Jensen and Rustan Rigdon, an RBI sacrifice groundout and flyout, and a wild pitch.
Aiden Stillman (2-1) picked up the win in relief, going 2.0 innings and allowing two runs on a hit and three walks while striking out three. Connor Mattison, the Wildcats’ starter, lasted 5.1 innings, yielded four runs on five hits and a walk, and struck out five. Meanwhile, the Wildcats ended up leaving 16 men on the plate while hitting just 3-of-17 with runners in scoring position.
Both teams are back at it on Tuesday. Vanderbilt faces Xavier while Kentucky travels to take on in-state foe Louisville.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
