NASHVILLE (Interstat) — The Vanderbilt Commodores defeated the Louisville Cardinals 12-6 on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium. Vanderbilt improved to 28-22, while Louisville fell to 26-23.

Louisville seized a quick lead in the top of the first inning. Rose singled up the middle, and G. Crain reached on catcher’s interference before two strikeouts. Moore walked to load the bases, and Jimmy Nugent launched a grand slam to right-center field, scoring four runs for a 6-0 advantage. The Cardinals struck out twice more to end the frame, but they had already done their most significant damage. Louisville would manage only three more hits the rest of the game, finishing with four total.

Vanderbilt answered in the bottom of the first. After two flyouts, Johnston walked, Holcomb singled, and Logan Johnstone singled through the right side to drive in Johnston, cutting the deficit to 6-1. The Commodores struck out to end the inning.

Both teams went quietly in the second inning. Louisville went down in order on a flyout and two strikeouts. Vanderbilt also went down in order on three strikeouts, two of them looking.

The game shifted in the bottom of the third. Waite bunt-singled, and Mancini walked. Johnston reached on a fielding error by the left fielder, loading the bases. After a strikeout, L. Johnston lined out to center field for a sacrifice fly, scoring Waite unearned and making it 6-2. Barczi then homered to right field, a three-run shot that scored Johnston and Mancini, both unearned, pulling Vanderbilt within 6-5. Rigdon flied out to end the inning.

The decisive moment came in the bottom of the fourth. Goodin doubled, Reynolds was hit by a pitch, and Waite was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mancini walked on a full count to force in the tying run at 6-6. Johnston singled to left field, scoring Reynolds, and Holcomb singled to third, scoring Waite. L. Johnston singled to center, scoring Mancini, and Barczi followed with a sacrifice fly to center, plating Johnston. The five-run inning gave Vanderbilt a 10-6 lead. After a strikeout and a flyout, the Commodores had taken full control.

Louisville could not answer in the top of the fifth, going down on a strikeout and two groundouts. Vanderbilt added to its lead in the bottom of the fifth. Mancini led off with a solo home run to right field, making it 11-6. After a walk and a fielder’s choice, the inning ended.

The Cardinals got a brief spark in the top of the seventh. After Nugent struck out, Slanker walked, and Kade Elam homered to left-center field, scoring two runs and cutting Vanderbilt’s lead to 11-6. But that was the last gasp for Louisville, as the next two batters made outs.

Mancini struck again in the bottom of the seventh, hitting his second home run of the game, a solo shot to left-center, extending the lead to 12-6. He finished 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs, earning top-star honors. Colin Barczi drove in four runs on a home run and a sacrifice fly. Logan Johnstone had three hits and three RBIs. For Louisville, Jimmy Nugent drove in four runs on his grand slam, and Kade Elam added a two-run homer.

On the mound, Vanderbilt’s Alex Kranzler threw two hitless innings with one strikeout, Matthew Shorey struck out three in a hitless inning, and Jacob Faulkner tossed 1 1/3 hitless innings. Louisville’s Colton Hartman pitched three innings, allowing one earned run with five strikeouts, but the bullpen could not contain the Commodores’ offense.

The game’s outcome far exceeded the pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Vanderbilt 6, Louisville 5, and Interstat’s ELO system had given the Commodores a 63.20 percent probability to win.