Vanderbilt Baseball Comes Back Three Times Over the Weekend, Looks Toward SEC Tournament: Extra Point

It was a series of comebacks for Vanderbilt baseball over the weekend. The Commodores completed a sweep over Kentucky and captured its third consecutive SEC series victory.

In the first game of the series, Vanderbilt was down 7-2 midway through the game. While the Commodores cut it to a two-run deficit in the bottom of the fifth, the offense was kept at bay until the bottom of the ninth, where Braden Holcomb hit a walk-off three-run home run to complete the comeback and take a 8-7 win. 

Friday’s game was perhaps more chaotic. Vanderbilt took a 7-5 lead into the ninth inning, just needing three outs to secure a series victory. But Kentucky had different plans, scoring three runs including two home runs to take a 8-7 lead and forcing the Commodores up to the plate in the ninth. That’s when Jonathan Vastine launched a walk-off two-run home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth to win 9-8. 

The second walk-off of the series set up a win-and-in scenario for a top four spot and a double bye in the SEC tournament. Needing either a win or a LSU victory over South Carolina, Vanderbilt left nothing to chance. 

The Commodores started the series finale down 3-0, but scored five unanswered runs to take a 5-3 win and complete a series sweep. One big reason for Vanderbilt’s third consecutive comeback was relief pitcher Connor Fennell. Fennell threw five shutout innings in relief of starting pitcher Cody Bowker, as he allowed just one hit in his lengthy outing out of the bullpen.

With LSU’s win over South Carolina on Saturday, Vanderbilt earned the No. 4 seed and a double-bye in this week’s SEC Tournament. The Commodores now can wait until the quarterfinal round begins on Thursday to play their next game.

Vanderbilt awaits the winner of No. 5 seed Georgia against the winner of Tuesday’s game between No. 12 seed Oklahoma and No. 13 seed Kentucky. The Commodores have seen all three teams already. On top of just sweeping the Wildcats this weekend, Vanderbilt also swept Georgia in mid-April, but lost two of three at Oklahoma the weekend prior. 

If the higher seeds won, this would be Vanderbilt’s path to a SEC Tournament Championship: No. 5 seed Georgia, No. 1 seed Texas and No. 2 seed Arkansas. But if college baseball fans learned anything this weekend, it is to expect some sort of chaos to ensue in Hoover this week.

No. 4 seed Vanderbilt will take on the survivor of No. 5 seed Georgia versus the winner of No. 12 seed Oklahoma or No. 13 seed Kentucky on Thursday 30 minutes after the conclusion of No. 1 seed Texas’ game against No. 8 seed Ole Miss or No. 9 Alabama or No. 16 seed Missouri.

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