Clarke's walk-off lifts Vandy to SEC Tournament title

Vanderbilt DH Philip Clarke singled off Ole Miss’s Ryan Olenek, helping VU come from eight down to beat Ole Miss by an 11-10 score in the Southeastern Conference championship game in the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Ala., on Sunday afternoon.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Clarke lined Olenek’s first pitch through the middle of the infield, scoring Austin Martin with the winning run,

Vandy out-hit Ole Miss 17-9. Clarke and second baseman Harrison Ray led the way with three hits apiece. Clarke and center fielder Pat DeMarco led VU with three RBIs each.

It’s VU’s first tournament title since 2007. The Commodores finish the regular season 49-10.

With two outs and nobody on, Martin was the first of three Commodores to take a walk from Ole Miss’s Austin Miller, who’d struck out six in a row before that.

Right fielder J.J. Bleday and shortstop Ethan Paul each walked, prompting the Rebels to pull Miller, who registered six of the seven Rebel strikeouts.

Tyler Brown, who threw three scoreless innings and struck out two, got the win.

For much of Sunday, it didn’t feel like a game that would end that way, as the ‘Dores trailed 9-1 heading into the bottom of the third.

But DeMarco blasted a three-run homer as part of a five-run fourth to give the Commodores a chance, while reliever Jake Eder gave Vandy a chance by throwing 3 2/3 innings, allowing one unearned run.

Before that, it wasn’t pretty, starting with pitcher Patrick Raby’s disastrous first inning.

With a run in and men on first and third, Ole Miss first baseman Cole Zabowski grounded to Martin at third. The throw to second was in time, but high. It appeared that Ray had his foot on the bag in plenty of time, with the ball in his glove.

But Vanderbilt didn’t ask for a review and the Rebels had first and second with one out and two in, with an error charged to Martin.

The failure to challenge cost the Commodores four runs.

Raby struck out Kevin Graham and then Cooper Johnson blooped a single to right for a third run. Raby walked No. 9 hitter Jacob Adams on a 3-2 pitch, forcing in a fourth run as well as a pitching change to Zach King.

King gave up a Thomas Dillard single to right, scoring two more before catcher Ty Duvall threw Dillard out on the back end of the play.

The Rebels had men on first and third with two out in the second Olenek, then playing third, took off for second as shortstop Grae Kessinger broke for home. Instead of cutting off the throw to the mound, King kicked it and Ole Miss led 7-0.

Vandy got on the board in the second when Ray doubled with two out and Duvall singled him in.

With one out in the third, King gave up a single to Anthony Servideo, hit Adams, walked Dillard and then gave up a line-drive single to Kessinger for a 9-1 Rebel lead.

Bleday led off the third with a walk and Paul hit a ground-rule double to center. Clarke singled through second to get VU within seven and chase starter Zack Phillips.

A double play wrecked that inning, but reliever Jake Eder got a 1-2-3 fourth, then, Duvall singled, Infante walked and Martin singled to center to start the bottom of the inning.

With two out, Clarke lined a single to center and Julian Infante beat the throw home.

DeMarco followed with a line-drive homer to left to get the ‘Dores within a run.

Vandy tied it at 10 the next inning when Stephen Scott reached on a two-out error and Ray lined a double past third that appeared to be foul, but also wasn’t reviewed.

The Rebels had two on with one out in the seventh, but Martin made two nice grabs of foul pop-ups to keep the game tied. There were no more runs until Clarke's walk-off.

VU learned it will host an NCAA Regional, which starters Friday. Its three opponents in the Nashville Regional will be unveiled on Monday morning.

M1: Zabowski single to center off Raby scored Kessinger. M, 1-0

M1: Keenan scored on Zabowski ground-out. M, 2-0

M1: Johnson single to right scored Zabowski. M, 3-0

M1: Raby walk to Adams scored Olenek. M, 4-0

M1: Dillard single scored Johnson, Servideo. M, 6-0

M2: Kessinger stole home. M 7-0

V2: Duvall single to center scored Ray. M, 7-1

M3: Kessinger single scored Servideo, Adams. M, 9-1

V3: Clarke single to right scored Bleday. M, 9-2

V3: Paul scored as DeMarco grounded into double play. M, 9-3

V4: Bleday sacrifice fly to center scored Duvall. M, 9-4

V4: Clarke single to center scored Infante. M, 9-5

V4: DeMarco homer to left scored Clarke and Martin. M, 9-8

M5: Johnson scored on Martin’s error. M, 10-8

V5: Infante single scored Ray. M, 10-9

V6: Ray double to left scored Scott. Tied-10

V9: Clarke single scored Martin. V, 11-10