LEXINGTON, Ky. – Vanderbilt dropped the series opener at No. 2 Kentucky, 10-5, Thursday night at Kentucky Proud Park.
Jonathan Vastine sent the first pitch of the game over the wall in center field for Vanderbilt’s sixth leadoff homer on the season.
Heck of a way to start things off at Kentucky Proud 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ALaVELVAJl
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) May 16, 2024
Kentucky scored eight unanswered runs beginning with a three-spot in the first. Kentucky loaded the bases with no outs and tied the game at 1-1 on a sac fly and took a 2-1 lead on a bunt single. The Wildcats brought home a third run on a bases-loaded walk before the first inning came to an end.
The Wildcats added to their lead in the bottom of the third with a run on a sac fly and three more on a home run by Ryan Waldschmidt to go up 7-1. All four runs were unearned.
Kentucky used its third sac fly of the game to add a run in the bottom of the fourth.
Camden Kozeal got Vanderbilt back in the scoring column in the top of the fifth. After a leadoff double by Matthew Polk, Kozeal hammered a two-run shot to right field to cut Kentucky’s lead down to 8-3.
Cam Bam 💪 💥 pic.twitter.com/PS4nCrDehb
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) May 17, 2024
The top of the fifth continued as Braden Holcomb singled through the right side and Calvin Hewett took a pitch off his helmet to put two one with nobody out in the inning. Holcomb tagged and took third on a fly out before scoring on a groundout by Davis Diaz.
A two-out double in the bottom of the fifth pushed Kentucky’s lead back to five at 9-4.
Hewett worked a walk to lead off the top of the seventh, stole second and reached third on a single by Vastine. Hewett came home on a double play to make it 9-5 but that would be it for Vandy in the frame.
Kentucky tacked on run No. 10 with a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth.
Vastine and Kozeal tallied two hits each to lead the Commodore offense.
With the loss, Vanderbilt falls to 34-19 overall and 12-16 in SEC action. Game 2 at Kentucky Proud Park is set for a 5:30 p.m. CT first pitch Friday on SECN+.