In the end, Florida (40-22) just couldn’t get timely hits after stranding 13 on base, and its season came to a waterlogged end against North Carolina (35-26) losing 5-3.
For a few minutes in the second inning though, baseball didn’t matter when Tar Heel shortstop Michael Russell took a pitch directly off the left side of his batting helmet.
The crack of the plastic stunned the 1,855 in attendance at McKethan stadium and blood poured out of a gash in Russell’s temple. He was walked to the locker room by trainers with a towel pressed firmly against his head.
After a 15 minute delay, Russell was deemed unfit to come back in the game, and Zach Daly took his place. Russell received 13 stitches, but after the game tweeted “Finally got my lightning bolt scar #Gryffindor #TheBoyWhoLived.”
“It definitely wasn’t easy (losing Russell),” UNC right fielder Tyler Ramirez said. “We were pretty disappointed Michael had to exit quickly, but I don’t think it really effected us at all. We wanted to really get it for Michael and get the win. I think we all just really rallied around it.”
In the next inning for the second day in a row, the Gators had to wait around while Mother Nature dished out her worst, this time to the tune of a three hour and nineteen minute rain delay. When they returned to the field, it was too long of a wait for starting pitcher Bobby Poyner, and left-hander Kirby Snead took the ball with a man on first and second and only one out after play resumed.
“We felt good during the rain delay that we were going to start him,” O’Sullivan said. “We talked about if we gave up a run or two that’s fine we still (were) going to have to score if we thought we were going to win.”
The Tar Heels proceeded to shell Snead to the tune of four hits and five runs and the Gators went through another post-rain delay nightmare inning.
After a three hour and fifteen minute delay before a pitch was even thrown Friday, College of Charleston had three runs and seven hits, ballooning UF’s aggregate total to 11 hits and eight runs in the 1.2 innings directly following precipitation.
Florida finally broke through to score in the seventh, when previously hitless Zack Powers (0-3, three strikeouts) laced a ball to center field for a two-out RBI single. Unfortunately, thanks to the wet grass, shortstop Richie Martin slipped on his way home, and was thrown out by North Carolina to end the inning and the UF threat, a microcosm of the offensive frustration the Gators endured in 18 innings of regional play.
The Gators would tack on another in the eighth with a Casey Turgeon RBI single, and center fielder Harrison Bader was able to get to scoring position in the ninth after being hit by a pitch and then taking second on a wild pitch. But they wouldn’t be able to pose a significant threat to the Tar Heels, and just like that, their season came to a screeching halt.
“I’m very proud of this team,” O’Sullivan said. “I don’t want these last two games to be a reflection of what this team is about. We accomplished a lot, and I know in this day and age you’re always judged on how you do in the postseason -- I understand that. But as far as the people in that locker room, and our coaches and our staff, and the people that are involved with our program, we’re gonna be awful proud about what we accomplished this year.”
Follow Richard Johnson on Twitter @RagjUF
UF shortstop Richie Martin is tagged out at home plate by UNC catcher Korey Dunbar during Florida's 5-2 loss on Saturday at McKethan Stadium. The loss eliminated the Gators from the NCAA Tournament.
Zack Powers swings at a pitch during Florida's 5-2 loss to North Carolina on Saturday in McKethan Stadium.
