HOOVER, Ala. – Vanderbilt advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals with a 6-1 win over Oklahoma on Thursday night at the Hoover Met.
JD Thompson totaled 11 strikeouts over 5.0 innings in the win. The southpaw surrendered one run on two hits. Thompson became the fifth Commodore to register double-digit strikeouts in an SEC Tournament game, joining Ryan Mullins, Jeremy Sowers, Sonny Gray and David Price.
Luke Guth, Levi Huesman and Sawyer Hawks didn’t allow a hit over the final four frames. Vandy’s pitching staff finished with 17 strikeouts, a program record in the SEC Tournament.
The Dores struck first with a four-run third inning. Jonathan Vastine led off with a single to center and Jacob Humphrey reached on an error. Mike Mancini laid down a bunt and beat the throw to first to load the bases.
Vandy scored the game’s first run on a Rustan Rigdon groundout with Vastine scoring from third. RJ Austin made it a 3-0 game with a two-run double to left. After Austin stole third, Riley Nelson drove Austin home with a double down the first base line to put the Dores up by four.
Oklahoma answered with a run on a groundout in the top of the fourth but Thompson limited the damage, stranding a pair of Sooners in scoring position.
Austin pushed the Vandy lead back to four in the bottom of the fourth. The Dores loaded the bases on two hit-by-pitches and an error before Austin drove in Jonathan Vastine with an infield single.
Braden Holcomb added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh after a single by Nelson. With two outs, Holcomb lined a double to left field and Nelson came all the way around from first to score and make it a 6-1 game.
Austin paced the offense with three RBI on a 2-for-4 night. Nelson also went 2-for-4 and added an RBI and a run scored. Vastine scored two of Vandy’s six runs.
With the win, Vanderbilt reaches the 40-win mark for the 13th time under head coach Tim Corbin. The Dores improve to 40-16 and will face Tennessee in the semifinals on Saturday at noon.
