Vanderbilt Sweeps Tennessee with Walk-Off Home Run to Advance to First SEC Tournament Since 1996

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Worth Scott's walk-off two-run home run along the line in right field gave Vanderbilt a 6-5 victory and series sweep of Tennessee to send the Commodores to the Southeastern Conference Tournament for the first time since 1996.

The victory, coupled with Kentucky's 7-5 upset of Florida in Gainesville, gives Vanderbilt (27-26 overall, 14-16 SEC) second place in the SEC Eastern Division. It marks the Commodores' highest finish in the league since the SEC split into two divisions in 1992.

Tennessee (31-24, 13-17 SEC) was eliminated from SEC Tournament consideration with the loss.

The sweep of Tennessee is Vanderbilt's first since 1989 and marks the first time since 1996 that the Commodores won four SEC series in a season.

Vanderbilt entered the ninth trailing 5-4. Warner Jones hit a one-out single to left field. Jonathan Douillard hit a ground ball to second base that could have ended the game with a double play. But after UT shortstop Brian Cleveland received the ball at second base, his throw to first bounced well short of the bag, allowing Douillard to reach first base. That set the stage for Scott's dramatics. He took Luke Hochevar's (6-5) second pitch and hit a towering shot that hugged inside the right-field foul pole for the game-winner.

Commodore reliever Matt Buschmann (5-2) earned the win. He gave up two hits and Tennessee's go-ahead run in the top of the eight.

Vanderbilt starter Ryan Mullins limited the Volunteers to eight hits, four runs (one earned) and a walk to go along with six strikeouts.

Tennessee starter Brandon Crowe lasted three and two-thirds innings. He gave up five hits, two runs (both earned), a walk and a strikeout.

Jones led all VU hitters with three hits. Kaye, Douillard, Scott and Matt Zeller posted two hits apiece.

Vanderbilt built a 2-0 lead after four innings. Cesar Nicolas' sacrifice fly brought in Ryan Klosterman to give VU a 1-0 lead in the third. Zeller hit a RBI single to right field that scored Douillard for a 2-0 advantage in the fourth.

Tennessee rallied for three runs in the fifth. Brian Cleveland's sacrifice fly and Jordan Czarniecki's two-run double gave the Vols a 3-2 lead.

The Commodores reclaimed the lead in the sixth. Simpson's RBI ground out scored Zeller to tie the score at 3-3. Klosterman followed with a solo home run, his fourth long ball of the season to put VU ahead 4-3.

Czarniecki brought the Vols even in the seventh when his double into the right-field alley scored Walter Sevilla.

Tennessee then captured a 5-4 advantage in the eighth when pinch hitter Jimbo Watson smacked a single to right field to plate Javi Herrera.

Sunday's crowd of 1,751 was Vanderbilt's fourth consecutive sellout and set a Hawkins Field record for a three-game SEC series with 5,185 fans.