Vanderbilt’s Damon Yee held Florida to just four runs over eight innings with eight strikeouts to help the Commodores to a 7-4 victory in the series opener Friday night at McKethan Stadium. Vanderbilt won its fourth consecutive game, improving to 15-15 on the season with a 2-7 conference mark.

The win marked the 600th career win for Vanderbilt Head Coach Roy Mewbourne at Vanderbilt.

Trailing 2-0 in the second inning on a two-run home run by Florida’s Jason Dill, Vanderbilt tied the game on a double by John Prothro, scoring two runs. The Commodores took the lead for good in the third on a sacrifice fly by Sean Luellwitz. The Commodores built the lead to 5-2 on run-scoring singles by Andy Kropf and Ulises Cabrera in the fifth.

Florida (20-14, 5-5) managed just two solo home runs by Tim Olson and Tony Socarras the rest of the game, stranding nine runners on base for the game.
UF starter Mike Smalley (3-4) took the loss, allowing five runs on nine hits with four walks and two hit batters.

Andy Beal earned the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

Eight Vanderbilt starters had at least one hit in the game led by the three-hit night by catcher Andy Kropf.

The two teams play the second game of the series at 4:00 p.m. Saturday.