Kentucky swept as it drops regular season finale to Vanderbilt 5-3

After dropping the first two games via walk-off home runs, Kentucky fell to No. 9 Vanderbilt 5-3 Saturday afternoon in its 2025 regular season finale. By dropping the third game of the series, the ‘Cats were swept for the second time this season (second time in its last three conference series) and will now head to next week’s SEC Tournament with a 29-23 (13-17) record.

Kentucky led by at least two runs in all three games, but was not able to steal a win in Nashville.

The Wildcat offense recorded just five hits, two of which were solo home runs hit by Tyler Bell and Hudson Brown. Bell capped off an incredible series, in which he went 6-14 at the plate with two home runs, two RBI and five runs scored.

Sophomore left-hander Ben Cleaver made his 14th start of the season on Saturday in a game where Kentucky certainly needed a big-time performance. Cleaver delivered, as he didn’t allow his first hit of the game until the bottom of the fifth inning. He lasted six innings, where he allowed just three hits and three earned runs (all scored in his final inning) with eight strikeouts.

Four different arms followed Cleaver (Gregersen, Adcock, Byers and Skelding), with right-hander Nile Adcock giving up the go-ahead two-run double to RJ Austin in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Solo blasts give Kentucky early lead

Kentucky was held scoreless in the first inning on Saturday for the first time this weekend, but it didn’t stop them from jumping out to an early lead for the third time in three games against the Commodores.

R-Freshman Hudson Brown got the start at first base in the series finale to replace James McCoy, who headed back to right field after some miscues from Ryan Schwartz and Carson Hansen at the position over the previous two games.

Brown, who had not started a game since the second game of the Derby Day doubleheader against Mississippi State, made up for it with a solo home run to open the third inning. He notched his second home run of the season and first since Kentucky’s 10-5 win over Texas A&M on March 30.

Devin Burkes followed him with a strikeout, but Tyler Bell continued the momentum with yet another solo home run two at-bats later. Bell, who entered the at-bat 5-11 on the weekend, blasted a no-doubter over the right center field fence to increase Kentucky’s early lead to two runs.

The Killer Bs'!!@HBrown2318 leaves the stadium with a 423-foot blast and @BellTyler28 follows with a 400-foot shot.

M3 | UK 2, Vandy 0

📺 SECN+ pic.twitter.com/mBIUfPxKko

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) May 17, 2025

With his third inning home run, Bell became the first Wildcat of the Nick Mingione era to record double-digit home runs as a freshman and first overall since 1993 (Chris Gonzalez).

‘Cats extend lead in fourth inning

Following Ben Cleaver‘s third consecutive hitless inning to open the game, Kentucky increased its lead in the fourth inning.

After back-to-back strikeouts from James McCoy and Patrick Herrera, Carson Hansen seemingly flew out to Vanderbilt left fielder Braden Holcomb to end the frame. Holcomb however dropped the ball, allowing Hansen to scamper to second base with two outs in the frame.

Following what was a rare break for Kentucky this weekend, Kyuss Gargett capitalized with an RBI-single to score Hansen from second. Its lead increased to 3-0 as Cleaver continued to shove.

The “Slim Reaper” didn’t allow his first hit until Holcomb led off the bottom of the fifth with a single to right field, but he bounced back and struck the next three batters out in order to keep the Commodores off the scoreboard.

Here come the ‘Dores…

Just as it did in the first two games of the weekend series, Vanderbilt stormed back in the later innings.

Cleaver ran into his first trouble of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he walked DH Mike Mancini and gave up a single to second baseman Rustan Rigdon to open the frame. He then plunked center fielder RJ Austin to load the bases and first baseman Riley Nelson capitalized with an RBI-groundout.

With the score now 3-1 ‘Cats, Cleaver forced a pop-out but then intentionally walked Braden Holcomb to re-load the bases. This brought up catcher Colin Barczi, who took advantage of the opportunity. He laced a two-run single to the right center gap, scoring two to tie the game at three.

Once Cleaver departed following the sixth inning, Vanderbilt sensed an opportunity to take the lead and it didn’t disappoint. Kentucky pitched four different arms in the bottom of the seventh, but the Commodores were able to jump ahead 5-3 following a two-run double hit by RJ Austin.

Once again, the ‘Cats had surrendered a late-inning lead.

Kentucky is swept to end the regular season

Kentucky’s offense completely shut down after Vanderbilt tied the game in the sixth, as nine consecutive batters were retired to cement the win for the Commodores.

Heading into the SEC Tournament with a 29-23 (13-17), Kentucky will now have to win at least one game in Hoover to feel safe about making the NCAA Tournament. If it were to go one and done, all of Big Blue Nation may be sweating out the Selection Show.

What’s next for Kentucky?

Following its regular season finale on Saturday, Kentucky will head to Hoover for the SEC Tournament. The tournament begins on Tuesday and will include all 16 teams from the SEC. The ‘Cats are 5-9 in the SEC Tournament in the Nick Mingione Era (2017-present)