A Vanderbilt baseball team that set a program record for home runs this year took a different approach Tuesday, to win its SEC Tournament opener and keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
The Commodores (33-24) recorded 10 singles — and one insurance home run — to rally from a three-run deficit and beat Kentucky 8-5 in a first-round tournament game.
kAmxE H2D '2?5J’D E9:C5 H:? :? 7@FC 82>6D E9:D D62D@? 282:?DE E96 (:=542ED Wb`\a`X[ H9@ 2C6 4@?D:56C65 3J >2?J 2 =:<6=J D6=64E:@? 7@C E96 }rpp %@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAm“(6 H6C6 `b\`a ,27E6C ad 82>6D. … 2?5 ?@H H6’C6 a_\`a :? E96 D64@?5 92=7 @7 E96 D62D@?[ D@ H6’G6 366? A=2J:?8 H6==[ 2?5 E9@D6 82>6D 92G6 366? @? E96 C@25[” '2?5J 4@249 %:> r@C3:? D2:5 @? E96 $tr }6EH@C<]k^Am
kAm“(6 =@DE D@>6 ,A:E496CD E@ :?;FCJ. 62C=J[ D@ H6’G6 925 E@ H@C< E9C@F89 D@>6 492==6?86D[ 3FE H6’G6 8@EE6? 36EE6C 2=@?8 E96 H2J] (6’G6 8@EE6? >@C6 4@?D:DE6?E @? E96 >@F?5[ E@@] x =:<6 E96 H2J H6’C6 A=2J:?8[ ?@E ;FDE 3642FD6 H6 H@? 2 32D632== 82>6[ 3FE x’G6 8@E 2 8@@5 766= 7@C E9:D E62> C:89E ?@H]”k^Am
kAm%96 `akDFAmE9k^DFAm\D66565 ‘s@C6D[ H9@ H@? E96 4@?76C6?46 E@FC?2>6?E :? a_ab 2?5 a_ad[ 25G2?465 E@ E2<6 @? 7:7E9\D66565 u=@C:52 WC2?<65 `gkDFAmE9k^DFAm ?2E:@?2==JX @? (65?6D52J]k^Am
kAm'2?56C3:=E 2?5 E96 v2E@CD H:== A=2J E96 D64@?5 82>6 @7 E96 52J 2E w@@G6C |6EC@A@=:E2? $E25:F> :? w@@G6C[ p=2][ 7@==@H:?8 2? ~=6 |:DD\|:DD@FC: 4@?E6DE E92E DE2CED 2E hib_ 2]>] r% W$tr }6EH@C<X]k^Am
kAm'2?5J 6?E6C65 E96 82>6 H:E9 2? #!x @7 fb[ <?@H:?8 E96 E62> 2=>@DE 46CE2:?=J ?66565 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6A@DE]4@>^DA@CED^G2?56C3:=E\6?E6CD\D64\E@FC?2>6?E\A=2J\H:E9\?2E:@?2=\DEC62<\@?\=:?6^2CE:4=6022`h5fa3\e3ae\cf4e\36h3\cgceehca4b5_]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m42AEFC6 >F=E:A=6 G:4E@C:6Dk^DEC@?8mk^2m — 2?5^@C H:? E96 4@?76C6?46 E@FC?2>6?E — :? @C56C E@ 62C? 2 3:5 E@ E96 }rpp %@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAm%96 r@>>@5@C6D 92G6 25G2?465 E@ `h 4@?D64FE:G6 C68:@?2=D[ H9:49 >2C<D E96 =@?86DE 24E:G6 DEC62< :? E96 ?2E:@?]k^Am
kAm'2?56C3:=E’D #!x :>AC@G65 E@ }@] f_ 7@==@H:?8 E96 H:? @G6C z6?EF4<J[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]H2CC6??@=2?]4@>^32D632==^a_ae^CA:\=:G6Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mA6C E96 (2CC6?}@=2?]4@> H63D:E6k^DEC@?8mk^2m[ 3FE G6CJ =:<6=J ?665D 2?@E96C D:8?:7:42?E 3F>A E@ 62C? @?6 @7 E96 }rpp E@FC?6J’D bd 2E\=2C86 D6=64E:@?D]k^Am
kAmxE =@@<65 E9C@F89 d\a^b :??:?8D E92E '2?56C3:=E’D }rpp 9@A6D >:89E 36 52D965 6G6? 367@C6 E96J 3682?[ 2D E96 r@>>@5@C6D EC2:=65 E96 (:=542ED c\` 2E E92E A@:?E] z6?EF4<J 925 E2<6? E96 =625 E92?<D :? A2CE E@ 9@>6 CF?D 3J %J=6C q6== 2?5 r2CD@? w2?D6? @77 '2?5J DE2CE6C r@??@C u6??6==]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 ‘s@C6D 42>6 2=:G6 H:E9 EH@ @FED :? E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 D:IE9[ D4@C:?8 7@FC CF?D — E9C66 @? #qx D:?8=6D 3J #J<6C (2:E6[ #FDE2? #:85@? 2?5 r@=:? q2C4K:[ @?6 @? 2 z6?EF4<J 6CC@C — E@ E2<6 2 d\c =625 9625:?8 :?E@ E96 D6G6?E9 :??:?8]k^Am
kAmp== 7:G6 @7 '2?5JVD CF?D E@ E92E A@:?E[ :?4=F5:?8 @?6 F?62C?65[ 42>6 @77 (:=542ED DE2CE6C y2I@? y6=<:?]k^Am
kAm“(6’G6 D66? ,y6=<:?. 367@C6[ D@ 27E6C 2 4@FA=6 E:>6D E9C@F89 E96 =:?6FA[ H6 DE2CE65 E@ 42E49 @? 2?5 E96 32ED DE2CE65 E@ 86E 9@E[” q2C4K: D2:5] “x E9:?< :E H6?E H6== 7C@> E96C6]”k^Am
kAm'2?5J E24<65 @? E9C66 CF?D :? E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 6:89E9 E@ :?4C62D6 E96 ‘s@C6DV 25G2?E286 E@ g\c]k^Am
kAm#:85@? D4@C65 E96 7:CDE CF? 3J D:?8=:?8[ DE62=:?8 D64@?5 2?5 E9:C5 32D6[ 2?5 E96? DAC:?E:?8 9@>6 @? 2 z6?EF4<J E9C@H:?8 6CC@C] qC@5:6 y@9?DE@? 7:?:D965 '2?56C3:=E’D D4@C:?8 3J 36=E:?8 2 EH@\CF? 9@>6C]k^Am
kAm%96 r@>>@5@C6D 8@E 2 DEC@?8 C6=:67 A6C7@C>2?46 7C@> ;F?:@C C:89E\92?56C p=6I zC2?K=6C[ H9@ A:E4965 c\`^b :??:?8D 2?5 2==@H65 ;FDE @?6 CF? @? @?6 9:E 2?5 @?6 H2=<] zC2?K=6C Wb\bX 62C?65 E96 G:4E@CJ 2?5 =@H6C65 9:D t#p E@ e]`g :? E96 AC@46DD]k^Am
kAm“(:E9 u6??6== 92G:?8 A:E4965 ;FDE 7@FC 52JD 28@[ H6 <:?5 @7 <?6H 96 H2D 8@:?8 E@ 86E E@ 2 46CE2:? A@:?E 2?5 H6 H6C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E@ C6=:6G6 9:>[” r@C3:? D2:5] “zC2?K=6C 92D ,366? A:E49:?8. C62==J H6==] w6’D 366? C62==J 677:4:6?E H:E9 32==D 2?5 DEC:<6D 2?5 92D?’E AFE 2 =@E @7 32D6 CF??6CD @?[ D@ 96’D 4@?7:56?E]”k^Am

