NASHVILLE ? The 13th-ranked Kentucky baseball team pounded out 12 hits and drew six walks, but stranded 11 base runners and dropped an 8-6 decision to No. 21 Vanderbilt in the series opener between the two on Friday night at Hawkins Field.
After falling behind 6-1 through four innings, Kentucky (32-11, 11-8 Southeastern Conference) began to rock Commodore starting pitcher David Price. Shaun Lehmann singled to leadoff and Collin Cowgill, Ryan Strieby and John Shelby roped three-straight RBI doubles with one out to make it 6-4. After a walk, Michael Bertram cut the deficit to one by plating Shelby on a single, his third hit of the game.
An error on the play moved the tying run to third with just one out, but Matt McKinney was stranded there as Justin Scutchfield and Ryan Wilkes each struck out to end the inning.
Shelby?s double extended his hitting streak to eight games. He has at least one extra base hit in all eight of those games and has driven in 12 while batting nearly .500 during the span. Strieby?s double was his 19th of the year, which is tied for ninth best in school history.
That began a pattern for UK as the Wildcats stranded one in the sixth, three in the seventh and two more in the eighth. Kentucky was just 5-for-18 with runners in scoring position in the game.
Stephen Shao gave up one run in the ninth, but nailed down his second save. Price was pulled one batter into the seventh, but earned the win to move to 6-3 this season. He was tagged for a season-high 10 hits and five runs while striking out nine and walking three.
While UK was stranding runners, Vanderbilt (27-16, 11-8 SEC) was adding to its lead, adding single runs in the sixth and seventh. A two-base error by Wilkes, where he tried to double off a runner on after snaring a line drive, cost UK in the sixth.
To open the seventh, Shea Robin launched a shot that looked like it would leave the yard, but Antone DeJesus made a spectacular leaping grab at the wall to bring it back. However, the Commodores followed with a single, a stolen base and another single to push the lead to 8-5.
The final run was scored after Dewayne Oxford entered the game, but it was charged to starter Aaron Tennyson, who took the loss to fall to 4-2. He allowed all eight runs on 15 hits, which matched a career high. The loss was the first of his career in conference play.
The loss snapped Kentucky?s seven-game win streak as UK fell out of first place in the SEC Eastern Division. South Carolina took over the division lead with a win over Mississippi State. The Wildcats are tied with Vanderbilt for second, one-game back.
The two teams meet in game two of the series on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. Kentucky sends southpaw Craig Snipp (4-3, 3.50) to the mound against right-hander Matt Buschmann (4-3, 4.10)
Vandy got on the board first with a two-run single by Matt Meingasner in the second. Kentucky cut the lead in half in the fourth on Scutchfield?s RBI single in the fourth.
However, the Commodores answered with a four-run fourth. Back-to-back singles by Ryan Davis and Alex Feinberg started the frame. A sacrifice later, David Macias hit a triple off the left field wall to plate both. Pedro Alvarez followed with a double and Ryan Flaherty made it 6-1 on a single.
Notes: John Shelby extended his hitting streak to eight games with a pair of hits … Shelby has an extra-base hit in eight straight games … Ryan Strieby’s 19th double of the year moves him into a ninth place tie in school history … Michael Bertram had three hits, his second three-hit game of the year … Kentucky rocked Vandy starter David Price for 10 hits, the most he has allowed this year … Kentucky did not hit a home run for just the second time in its last 14 games … Aaron Tennyson lost an SEC game for the first time in his career, falling to 4-1 … Tennyson allowed 15 hits, the most in his career … Kentucky lost its fifth straight at Vanderbilt.
