Vanderbilt's Jack Bulger hit a walk-off single to score Enrique Bradfield Jr. as the Commodores beat Florida, 5-4, to open the series at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tenn., on Friday.
Bulger led the Commodores with three hits, and sent one through the infield off Florida's Blake Purnell with the bases loaded and nobody out in the ninth for the game winner.
Thomas Schultz got the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the Commodores (24-9, 6-7 Southeastern Conference).
Calvin Hewett homered for Vanderbilt, which out-hit the Gators, 12-6.
Florida's Jud Fabian homered off starter Chris McElvain to give the Gators a 2-0 lead. Bulger's infield single in the bottom of the inning cut the deficit in half and Hewett's homer in the second tied it.
The Gators (21-13, 5-8) got a run-scoring single from Kendrick Calilao in the fourth off McElvain and then Wyatt Langford's RBI single in the fifth off Patrick Reilly to go back up two.
Vandy, however, tied it in the sixth on Jonathan Vastine's sacrifice fly and a passed ball that scored Tate Kolwyck.
Bradfield singled to lead off the ninth and stole second. Dominic Keegan reached on a throwing error and then Florida intentionally walked Spencer Jones before Bulger singled through the infield to the right side of second for the win.
Florida pulled ace Hunter Barco after two innings with an apparent illness.
Reilly, who was Vanderbilt's third starter the past two weeks, worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings and threw 59 pitches.
The teams play Game Two on Saturday night at 6 Central. Carter Holton will start for Vanderbilt.