Vanderbilt Wins Fourth Straight SEC Game; Moves into Tie for First Place in Eastern Division with 6-4 win over No. 25 Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Vanderbilt Commodores won their fourth straight league game and moved into a tie for first place in the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division, topping Arkansas, 6-4 Friday, April 11 at Baum Stadium.

Vanderbilt, who swept then-No. 13 Florida last weekend in Nashville, moved into a tie in the division with South Carolina who defeated Florida, 9-4 Friday in Gainesville. The victory marks the first time since 1997 that a Commodore squad has won four consecutive league games. That year Vanderbilt won five-straight SEC games.

The Commodores (17-15, 6-7 SEC) rallied from a 4-3 deficit with three runs in the eighth inning. John Kaye singled in Cesar Nicolas to tie the game at 4-4. Tony Mansolino followed two batters later with the game-winning hit off Arkansas (25-7, 7-6 SEC) reliever Caton Hall (1-1), a two-RBI double down the third-base line to score Kaye and Ryan Godfrey, who reached base on a walk.

VU starter Jeremy Sowers (2-4) picked up his second win in a row. He carried a no hitter into the bottom of the seventh with Vanderbilt leading 3-1. Arkansas' Brett Hagedorn led off the frame with a sharp single to right field to break up the not hitter. After Haas Pratt reached base on a fielder's choice put out of Hagedorn at second base, Andrew Wishy tied the game at 3-3 with his fifth home run of the year to right field. After Clay Goodwin drew a walk, Judd Kindle singled him home three batters later to give Arkansas a 4-3 advantage.

Sowers completed eight innings of action, retiring 12 in a row at one point. He scattered five hits, four runs (three earned) and three walks to go along with four strikeouts. Vanderbilt reliever Jensen Lewis pitched the ninth, walking two and striking out one to register his team-best fifth save of the year.

Eight of Vanderbilt's nine starters recorded hits in the game, including two apiece from Nicolas and Matt Zeller. Nicolas had two RBI.

Arkansas took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning. Andrew Wishy led off the frame with a walk. He went all the way to third base when Clay Goodwin hit a fielder's choice to VU first baseman Nicoals. However, Nicolas threw the ball off Wishy's helmet into left field. Ryan Fox then brought Wishy in on a sacrifice fly to right center field.

The Commodores took a 2-1 lead in the sixth on Nicolas' two-RBI single to left field that plated Ryan Klosterman and Zeller. Vanderbilt built its lead to 3-1 in the seventh when Jonathan Douillard singled in Godfrey from second base.

The series continues Saturday at 3 p.m. The game will be telecast live on SEC-TV (FoxSports Net). The series finale is Sunday at 1 p.m.