Parker Noland hit a three-run home run as part of a four-run fifth inning, as Vanderbilt slipped past Eastern Kentucky, 6-4, on Tuesday evening at Nashville's Hawkins Field.

Noland's blast scored C.J. Rodriguez and Jack Bulger, and gave Vanderbilt a 5-2 lead.

Rodriguez led VU with four hits while Dominic Keegan and Max Romero Jr. each had two for Vanderbilt (26-5, 9-3 Southeastern Conference).

Starting pitcher Thomas Schultz (3-2) threw 101 pitches across six strong innings to earn the win. Schultz struck out seven, walked one and allowed just four hits and two runs, though one hit was a solo home run to Caleb Upshaw.

Luke Murphy threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning for his seventh save.

The game was tied at two in the fifth when Rodriguez's infield single gave Vandy two on with one out. Noland waited on a 1-2 pitch from Jacob Abbott and blasted it, by scant inches, the opposite way over the big wall in left.

The Commodores' other runs were generated by an RBI triple by Isaiah Thomas in the second that scored Rodriguez, and Keegan's third-inning single to score Carter Young.

The Colonels made things interesting in the ninth with Vandy's Donye Evans pitching. Evans started the inning with a strikeout but hit a batter, then, EKU had men on second and third after Jayson Gonzalez's throwing error allowed Cam Ridley to reach.

But with Murphy now in, Daniel Harris IV singled in a run to get EKU within two. Gonzalez then gunned down Max Williams at home on a grounder, then, Murphy got a fly ball to center to end the game.

Schultz's outing was just what Vanderbilt needed. He didn't pitch against Georgia after being removed from a weekend starting role, and responded with his best performance since he threw five shutout innings vs. UIC on March 5.

"It was really important for our team… for that guy to get his team into the seventh inning on a Tuesday night is essential right now, especially from a depth standpoint. … Thomas was very key to that game," Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said.

Also key was the return of Thomas, who'd been sidelined with a groin injury that forced him to miss the last six games.

On the topic of other injured players, Corbin said that starting second baseman Tate Kolwyck (hamate) has been fielding well and could be used in the field in games soon, while starting left fielder Cooper Davis (hamstring) is "moving better."

The Commodores travel to Knoxville for a three-game series with Tennessee (28-6, 9-3) starting Friday.