Kentucky touched starter Bryce Cunningham for seven runs in 2 2/3 innings as the Wildcats took the series opener, 10-5, on Thursday night in Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington, Ky.

The Wildcats struck for three in the first and four in the third off Cunningham, the biggest blow being Ryan Waldschmidt's three-run homer, all runs unearned as a result of Cunningham's error.

Shortstop Jonathan Vastine and second baseman Cam Kozeal both homered for the Commodores (34-19, 12-16 Southeastern Conference). Freshman Luke Guth threw three innings of one-run ball in relief.

Kentucky (38-11, 21-7) moved within a game of at least a share of the league's overall title.

Vastine's homer off wining pitcher Trey Pooser on the game's first pitch gave Vanderbilt a short-lived, 1-0 lead.

Cunningham gave up a leadoff double to Waldschmidt in the bottom of the inning, walked Emilien Pitre and then Devin Burkes beat out a bunt to load the bases.

A Nick Lopez sacrifice fly scored the first run. A Mitchell Daly bunt single back to Cunningham on a play where Kozeal, covering the bag at first, failed to get a foot down on the bag as Cunningham's throw beat him, helped produce a second run.

That also kept the door open for a third run when Cunningham walked James McCoy with the bases loaded.

A single, a walk and a Grant Smith fly-out for the inning's second out made it 4-1 in the third before Waldschmidt homered to center for a six-run advantage.

A Kozeal homer as part of a three-run fifth got Vanderbilt within 8-4. The Commodores left two on when Pooser struck out Alan Espinal with the last pitch of his outing to end the inning.

Guth kept Vanderbilt within striking distance, but the Commodores didn't send more than four guys to the plate in an inning again. Kentucky's Nick Lopez homered off Guth in the eighth for the WIldcats' only run against him.

The teams play again at 5:30 on Friday.

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