Florida sweeps the South Florida in dramatic fashion with a walk off hit in the bottom of the 10th. Mike Zunino (PH/C) knocked a two out single into right field to score Tyler Thompson(PH/LF) from 2B and win 7-6. This was only the final act of a game that got dramatic late. After USF scored 5 runs in the top of the 8th to take the lead, Florida scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th to force the extra frame.
UF took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Matt den Dekker (CF) led off with a single. Josh Adams drew his fourth walk of the series. Both runners advanced on a 4-3 groundout by Preston Tucker (1B) that drew 2B Chad Taylor toward 1B and prevented a double play. After an Austin Maddox strikeout, Daniel Pigott (RF) singled to drive in both runners. Pigott stole 2B, and scored on a Bryson Smith (3B) single. Smith was caught stealing to end the inning.
After that the Gator bats got very quiet as UF went three up three down in the 2-5th innings. In the 6th four batted after a Tucker single with two outs. USF starter Andrew Barbosa (0-0) went 6 innings, allowing 5 hits and only the 3 first run innings while striking out 4. Florida did manage to load the bases in the 7th with only one out against RHP Matt Stull. After a pinch hit walk by Thompson, a PH 4-6 fielder’s choice by Jerico Weiztel (PH/3B) erased Thompson. Then a PH single by Kamm Washington (PH/RF), and a walk by Nolan Fontana (SS) loaded the bags. Zunino struck out swinging and Stull was relieved by LHP Teddy Kaufman. Kaufman got den Dekker to ground out on a 6U fielder’s choice.
USF only had 5 hits through the 6th, as the Florida starter RHP Anthony DeSclafani (0-0) pitched into the 5th, allowing only 4 hits with 4 strikeouts. However, after allowing back to back singles to Jimmy Falla (1B) and Chad Taylor (2B), RHP Kevin Chapman (0-0) came on and induced a 1-6-3 double play from Ryan Lockwood (CF) to end the threat. LHP Stephan “Paco” Rodriguez (0-0) allowed a hit by Stephen Hunt (RF) in the 6th but nothing else.
In the 7th RHP Jeff Barfield (0-0) started the inning and struggled. Eric Sim (C) led off with a double. After an Alex Mendez (DH) strikeout, Falla doubled to score Simm. Taylor flew out to center, and Barfield was replaced by Nick Maronde (0-0). Maronde got Lockwood to lineout to center to end the inning.
Then the trouble began. Junior Carlin (LF) led off the 8th with a bunt single that was popped up, but over the head of the charging Maronde and in front of Fontana at short. Sam Mende (SS) drew a walk. Hunt ripped a double to score Carlin and move Mende to 3B and make the score 3-2.
At this point head coach Kevin O’Sullivan had seen enough and brought in RHP Greg Larsen (0-0). Jonathan Koscso (3B) and Sim singled to score Mende and Hunt respectively and take a 4-3 lead while closing the book on Maronde. Sean Buckley (PH) then hit his second pinch hit double of the weekend off the wall in left to score Koscso and move Sim to 3B.
Sully was back off the bench to yank Larsen and replace him with RHP Justin Poovey (0-0). Poovey got a RBI fly out to right by Falla that scored Sim and made the score 6-3. He then struck out Taylor, walked Lockwood, and got Carlin to pop up to short as the Bulls batted around in the inning. The total damage was 5 runs and the lead. Maronde was on the books to take the loss.
In the bottom of the 8th, the Gators had the heart of their order up and one thought they needed to get at least a run to have a chance. After Adams and Tucker were quickly retired on a 1-3 comeback and a fly to left, Maddox hit a long fly over the left center field fence. In an eerily similar moment and in almost the exact same spot as yesterday, Lockwood climbed the fence and robbed Maddox of a home run. Two games, two jacks by Maddox, two stolen homers by Lockwood. This ended the inning, and one thought probably the game as well, as USF came charging into the dugout high fiving while the Gators dejectedly took the field.
Poovey retired the side in order, which got Florida back to the plate quickly.
Thompson started the inning innocently enough when he popped out to short. Hampton Tignor (PH) was the third different player to bat in the seven hole (Smith and Weitzel were the others), and drew a walk. Washington hit a single off Kaufman with two strikes that died on the infield grass after striking the pitcher’s leg. Fontana then hit a seeing eye single past a diving Taylor at second to load the bases.
South Florida pulled Kaufman and replaced him with RHP Kevin Quackenbush who got Zunino to strike out for the second time in a row with the bases loaded. Down to Florida’s final strike, den Dekker singled to plate Tignor and Washington and trim the deficit to 6-5. Fontana, the tying run, moved to third on the play. With runners on the corners, Quackenbush walked Adams to load the bases. Tucker hit a sharp grounder that Mende could not handle cleanly at short, and the throw was late to first. The two out error allowed Fontana to score from 3B and tie the game. Showing great poise, Quackenbush got Maddox to ground out to end the inning.
USF threatened in the top of the 10th. Sim led off with a single, but was erased at 2B on a 1-6 fielder’s choice by Buckley. He advanced to 2B on a single by Falla. Todd Brazeal (PH) grounded into a 6-4 fielder’s choice to erase Falla and put runners on the corners with two outs. LHP Alex Panteliodis was called in from the bullpen and got Lockwood to strike out swinging.
In the bottom of the 10th, Thompson led off with a walk. Jandy Rosabal (PH) was the fourth player of the day to bat in the six hole, and was called out after his two strike bunt attempt rolled foul. Washington then laced a ball down the third baseline that Koscso did a great job of knocking down, or the game might have ended then. As it was, the single moved Thompson into scoring position. Fontana flew out to left to set the stage. With two outs and two on, Zunino came to the plate for the third straight time in a big situation. The previous two times with the bases loaded, Zunino had struck out. This time he lobbed a single down the first baseline into shallow right that allowed Thompson to score easily. As Thompson crossed the plate, the team poured out of the dugout and mobbed Zunino at the edge of the infield near 1B.
What a great way to win. This gives the Gators tons of momentum moving out of the first weekend. They were able to get a ho hum victory, a blowout victory, and a come from behind late victory all in the same weekend. These moments always help down the road as your team knows it is never out of a game. With the bats Florida possesses, a last at bat comeback will always be possible for this team. It was really going to be a downer if UF had outplayed USF for 25-27 innings on the weekend and only went 2-1. The 9th inning rally and subsequent win was deserved, as UF was the better team all weekend save the top of the 8th inning on Sunday.
Monday and Tuesday are off this week before the Gators play a bullpen testing five games in five days. Wednesday against Central Florida, Thursday against Siena, and a three game weekend series next week against La Salle should get everyone on the team some work this next week. This is a deep team, and will need it. Florida will need to get two or three quality starts in those five games to keep from working the pen too much.
You can find the team's offical stats for the year here for those of you that are stat junkies. See you Wednesday at the Mac.
Editor's Note: You can read Allen's Game 1 recap here, and Game 2 recap here.
