Jonathan Vastine launched a two-run walk off home run as Kentucky baseball (29-22, 13-16 SEC) fell 9-8 to No. 9 Vanderbilt (38-16, 18-11 SEC).
The Wildcats came into game two looking to respond to Braden Holcomb’s three-run walk off home run to win game one for the Commadores.
Kentucky returned the favor of ninth inning comebacks as it put up a three-run ninth to bring game two to the bottom of the ninth.
With the score 7-5 entering the ninth, Tyler Bell got the Bat Cats one run closer with a home run to left-center that slimmed the deficit to 7-6.
After a strikeout, Cole Hage tied the game 7-7 with a home run of his own to right-center.
Following the homer, James McCoy walked and scored on a Kyuss Gargett double that gave Kentucky an 8-7 lead.
McCoy moved to the mound in the ninth to try and secure the massive win for Kentucky, but Colin Barczi doubled, and déjà vu struck as Vastine shattered the hearts of Kentucky yet again with a two-run walk off home run.
Way back in the first, the Bat Cats got off to a great start as McCoy opened the scoring with a two-out RBI-double that scored Bell.
Patrick Herrera brought home McCoy to give Kentucky an early 2-0 lead.
The lead was short-lived as Nic McCay got into immediate trouble after giving up a walk and double to the first two batters he faced.
Riley Nelson grounded out to score a run for the Commadores, but Brodie Johnston delivered the big blow with a two-run home run that gave Vandy a 3-2 lead.
Following the homer, McCay gave up three-straight singles that resulted in another run and a 4-2 Vanderbilt lead after one.
The Bat Cats fought right back in the second as Luke Lawrence beat out an infield single to score Devin Burkes and McCoy drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game 4-4.
McCay found his groove as he retired nine straight hitters working into the fourth. The right-hander got Mike Mancini to pop-up to right, but Carson Hansen misplayed the ball, and it hit the turf.
Beyond forcing McCay to throw extra pitches, the error resulted in a run as RJ Austin broke the tie with an RBI-single.
Hansen had the opportunity to make up for the error in the field at the plate and he delivered an RBI-double to score McCoy and tie the game 5-5.
The Wildcats appeared to be in prime position to break the tie as Burkes led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Griffin Cameron.
With one out in the bottom half of the sixth, Vastine launched a homer to left that gave Vandy a 6-5 lead.
Things got tougher for Kentucky in the seventh as Ethan Walker was on the hill for his third inning of work and gave up an RBI-double to Nelson that extended the deficit to 7-5 before the chaotic ninth inning.
Kentucky will attempt to avoid being swept by Vanderbilt in its final regular season game of the 2025 season on Saturday, May 17, with first pitch set for 3 p.m. ET.
