HOOVER, Ala. — Pinch-hitter Calvin Hewett’s three-run double capped a five-run eighth inning and fourth-seeded Vanderbilt defeated 10th-seeded Texas A&M 10-4 on Sunday in the championship game of the SEC Tournament on Sunday.
Enrique Bradfield Jr. opened the eighth with a double and reached third on a ground out before scoring on a wild pitch. Parker Noland then singled in Davis Diaz who walked after Bradfield’s double. A single by Chris Maldonado and a walk to RJ Austin loaded the bases for Hewett, who ripped a double down the left-field line on a 3-2 pitch.
Troy LaNeve went 2 for 4 with a three-run home run in the second for the Commodores (41-18) before being replaced by Hewett. Noland and Maldonado both had three hits.
Patrick Reilly (5-3), the second of five pitchers, got the win, allowing three runs and five hits in four innings.
Max Kaufer had a two-run single in the sixth inning to pull Texas A&M into a 4-4 tie.
LaNeve, who had a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning, put the Commodores back on top when he scored on a ground out.
The Aggies (36-25), the only double-digit seed to reach the SEC semifinals, used seven pitchers with Chris Cortez (3-1) taking the loss.
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