"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 15.0px;">
During the tensest moment of
its young season, two Florida freshmen executed a play normally
reserved for schoolyard stunts.
Engineered by a hidden-ball trick, the No. 1 Gators escaped further
damage in a tenuous seventh inning, grabbing the game’s momentum
and responding with six unanswered runs en route to a 9-3 victory
over Boston College.
Down 3-1 with two outs in the top of the seventh, BC (2-3)
shortstop Brad Zapenas smashed a Daniel Gibson fastball into the
left-center field gap. The two-run triple, just beyond the
outstretched arms of a diving Daniel Pigott, tied the game, and for
the first time all season the Gators (6-0) were the team feeling
the pressure.
But in an instant — on a play that evoked memories of little league
— the pendulum swung back in Florida’s favor.
“They were dead in their shoes after that play,” Hudson Randall,
Friday's starting pitcher said. “We were all stoked… They had a
runner on third with two outs and were looking to score another
run, and we just shut’em out right there.”
Following Zapenas’ triple, freshman third baseman Zack Powers never
gave Gibson, also a freshman, the ball. The lefty thrower sold the
play, drifting toward the mound, but never going on it.
Still jacked from his big hit, the Owls shortstop wandered off the
bag and Powers tagged the runner, preserving the tie and sending
the Florida bench and crowd into a frenzy.
“The impressive thing was that it was two freshmen,” coach Kevin
O’Sullivan said. “All of a sudden you give up two runs and it’s a
tie ballgame, and next thing you know you pull a hidden ball and
everybody’s fired up. It certainly changed the momentum of the
game.”
Suddenly, BC pitchers couldn’t find the strike zone, issuing seven
walks in the next two innings. Florida sent nine batters to the
plate in the seventh and eight inning, scoring six runs on five
hits, despite leaving the bases loaded each time.
“I liked the way we bounced back and answered back with three in
the bottom half,” O’Sullivan said. “It was a good test for us. We
have to learn and get better as we go along.”
Right fielder Preston Tucker went 3 for 4 with a homer, and he
collected the game winning RBI, walking on four straight pitches to
break the tie.
“I think the close game was good for us,” Tucker said. “Our
pitching has been so good that we haven’t really had any close
games so far this year, but I think our hitters responded just the
way the coaches wanted us too.”
Randall made his second start of the season, pitching five solid
innings and allowing one run on four hits. The lanky right-hander
mixed his pitches well early, but exited after just five innings
because the Eagles began timing up his pitches.
Etc.: Florida’s four starting pitchers have
combined for a 0.56 ERA, with 33 strikeouts and two walks in the
first six games. … Brian Johnson, Thursday night’s ace, keyed both
late rallies, finishing the day hitting 3-for-5 with three RBIs. …
UF ended its errorless streak at 27.2 innings when Ben McMahon
booted a throw at first base at the top of the sixth. … Kamm
Washington had a pinch-hit RBI double in the eighth inning. …
O’Sullivan hinted that Toledo would start Tuesday’s game against
Florida State.
