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Published May 9, 2023
Twelfth-inning outburst gets Vanderbilt past Louisville
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Chris Lee  •  VandySports
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Vanderbilt, keyed by Enrique Bradfield Jr's two-run single, broke through with four runs in the 12th, knocking off Louisville, 12-8, at Jim Patterson Stadium in Louisville, Ky., in the annual "Battle of the Barrel" on Tuesday evening.

It made a winner of freshman right-hander David Horn, who threw three scoreless innings to pick up the victory.

Vanderbilt (35-13) out-hit Louisville, 12-8, with Davis Diaz getting two of them while driving in four runs.

Diaz and Parker Noland each hit home runs. Diaz’s two-out single in the ninth tied the game and Noland’s subsequent home run gave Vanderbilt its first lead of the evening.

The Commodores were tied or behind for most of the evening, but finally broke through in the 12th.

Vanderbilt's Jonathan Vastine singled up the middle to lead off the inning and then Cameron Robinson hit Matthew Polk next. Calvin Hewett laid down a 3-1 bunt and Robinson couldn't pick it up cleanly and everyone was safe.

Bradfield then punched a 2-2- pitch through second against a drawn-in infield go make it 10-8.

Diaz then walked and Louisville went to righty Ben Wiegman, who got an infield grounder from RJ Schreck, but another run scored. Bradfield then came home on a one-out wild pitch.

Horn pitched a perfect 12th to end it.

Louisville used 12 pitchers and Vanderbilt, nine. Noland's home run came off Greg Farone, who's started four Atlantic Coast Conference games for the Cardinals.

But Louisville tied it thanks to back-to-back hits to lead off the ninth, the latter being a hustle double to center by Isaac Humphrey off closer Nick Maldonado.

Louisville’s biggest inning was the fifth, when the Cardinals got three runs off Bryce Cunningham, including a Jack Payton home run.

It was a late-inning roller-coaster ride for both teams.

In the 10th, Horn walked a pair of men but got out of it unscathed. The Commodores then got the first two on in the 11th before Robinson, a seldom-used senior, struck Noland out and then got a double-play grounder off RJ Austin’s bat to end the inning.

In the 11th, Horn again walked two and faced the dangerous Payton, whom he struck out to end that.

Louisville threw about everything it could at Vanderbilt, starting closer Tate Kuehler for the first time all year and pitching him two innings. The Cardinals also threw weekend starter Ryan Hawks in relief as well as Farone.

Other than Horn, fellow freshman JD Thompson the only man to throw multiple innings. Thompson allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits and three walks.

The Commodores head to Florida for a three-game series that starts Friday. It'll be Vandy's last regular-season road games of the season.