On Saturday, No. 8 Florida and No. 3 Vanderbilt played a pseudo-doubleheader that provided comeback heroics followed by a whooping in the worst degree. Saturday was odd. Sunday was just plain crazy.
The Gators and the Commodores squared off in the rubber match of a incredible series - and four hours, 13 pitchers and nearly every available player later, UF exited Hawkins Field with a dramatic 6-3 victory in 12 innings, tying Vanderbilt for first place in the Southeastern Conference Division race.
"I don't even know where to start," Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. "I don't even know where to end. That was one of the wildest games I've ever been involved with."
For the second time in the series, the Gators (39-13, 20-7 SEC) rallied late to tie the game, battling back from a 3-1 deficit with just nine outs to play.
Catcher Mike Zunino launched the comeback, unloading a solo shot in the seventh for his team-leading 11th home run of the year. Florida tied the game in the eighth. And four innings later, Zunino, a contender for the SEC Player of the Year, likely cemented his candidacy by smashing a three-run opposite field shot off Navery Moore, the Commodores' (42-8, 20-7 SEC) dominant closer.
Coming into the series, the junior had allowed just a single run all season, but the right-hander surrendered the winning runs in both Gators wins over the weekend.
Zunino finally broke the game open after both teams squandered multiple opportunities in seemingly every inning.
Vanderbilt didn't score a run after the fourth despite stranding six runners in scoring position in the last eight frames.
Florida's bullpen was outstanding, tossing 7.2 shutout innings. UF's arsenal of hurlers had Vanderbilt whiffing all afternoon, striking out 15.
Freshman Karsten Whitson made the start, but lasted less than five innings for just the second time in his career. Left-hander Nick Maronde relieved Whitson with one out in the fifth.
With the bullpen taxed from the previous two ballgames, Maronde pitched 3.1 scoreless innings - the second longest relief outing of his career. He hadn't registered more than one inning of work since April 8 against Mississippi State.
"He was special today," O'Sullivan said. "That's what pitching depth does for you. You go into a game on Sunday and you have a guy like Marande and Toledo sitting there for you."
Tommy Toledo collected the victory, but not before nearly conceding the winning run. After UF's manager summoned the righty from the pen for the 11th, the junior promptly allowed a leadoff double. With one out and the game-winning run at third, Toledo - not known for this strikeout prowess - mowed down two straight Commodores to thwart the rally.
"We battled," O'Sullivan said. "We had runners on it seemed like every inning. Both teams had to make big pitches."
The Gators used 14 pitchers (six on Sunday) during the series, but no sequence of throwers was more bizarre than in the Commodores' home half of the 10th.
After southpaw Steven "Paco" Rodriguez allowed a single, a hit batsman and a punch-out, O'Sullivan made a unique substitution because of Florida's problematic depth.
Although he's never played in the field in his collegiate career, Rodriguez swapped positions with first baseman Austin Maddox, who was inserted to face the right-handed hitting Jason Esposito.
Right away, Maddox tossed a wild pitch and the runners advanced to second and third. O'Sullivan was forced to bring the infield in. Maddox then induced a shallow pop-up on the right side of the infield.
Rodriguez immediately called for the ball, waving off Josh Adams for the play.
After making the catch, O'Sullivan switched Maddox and Rodriguez again, and the left-hander escaped the jam with a strikeout after a 10-pitch at-bat.
"Crazy game, used everybody on the bench," O'Sullivan said. "'Paco's' playing first and calling for a pop-ups when Adams is calling for the ball. But we showed great determination today. It's a very special, special win - puts us in position to win the SEC."
