It was a game of batting practice for the top-ranked Gators.
Behind 24 hits, two solo shots and two grand slams, No. 1 Florida (19-2, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) pounded Winthrop (9-10, 2-1 Big South) 22-5 on Tuesday night in McKethan Stadium.
UF extended its winning streak to nine games as every starter recorded at least one hit. Infielders Josh Adams and Nolan Fontana led the way, combining for six knocks, two bombs and eight RBIs.
“Hitting is contagious,” Adams said. “It was just one of those days that everybody was seeing the ball well and putting good swings on it. Our BP definitely translated into the game today.”
Fontana drilled his first career grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs. And Adams had a 3-for-3 day with a homer of his own, his second straight game with a round-tripper.
“We had a lot of hitter’s counts, and that’s a big part of offensive explosions,” Fontana said. “The ball looked like a beach ball again. … I don’t run into those too often.”
Florida’s scoring barrage started right from the beginning.
The Gators plated two runs in the first after Austin Maddox scorched a single up the middle and the ball rolled under Eagles center fielder Cam Walter’s glove and all the way to the wall. Fontana, who led off with a hit, scored, and Maddox chugged all the way home for the three-base error.
“We had the oxygen ready for him in the dugout,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan joked.
After a scoreless bottom of the second, the Gators plated at least two runs in the next six innings, including two five spots in the sixth and eighth.
In the sixth inning, Brian Johnson blasted his first homer of the season onto Stadium Road behind the right-field wall. Following his trot around the bases, Florida’s lefty ace received the silent treatment, as his teammates jokingly shunned him in the dugout.
Florida scored five runs in the eighth, including four on Mike Zunino’s monster grand slam.
“I really liked our swings,” O’Sullivan said. “We hit a lot of line drives. We hit a lot of balls hard. Any night when all nine starters get hits and seven guys have multiple-hit nights, it’s obviously a great night for us.”
The Gators used a series of relievers in the midweek contest, as Steven ‘Paco’ Rodriguez made his second career start.
The left-hander tossed 3.1 innings, struck out two and allowed two runs.
Six pitchers threw in the blowout win, including little-used Justin Poovey (1.1 innings and two runs) and Daniel Gibson (one inning and one run).
Etc.: Greg Larson continued his recent good work, striking out three in 1.1 innings. After the Eagles cut the lead to 6-4, the righty relieved Poovey, striking out three to end the threat. … In the eighth inning, freshman infielder Tyler Palmer collected his first-career RBI on a bases-loaded walk. …Fontana has a seven-game hitting streak.
