After two nights of biting cold and mixed results, Florida (5-7) cruised to a 6-3 home win Sunday afternoon to clinch their fourth-straight series against Miami (10-2).
The Gators chased Hurricanes’ left-hander Andrew Suarez with four runs in the third. Richie Martin led off the inning with a double. Florida sent eight batters to the plate.
Five of seven at-bats with runners in scoring position ended in a hit, walk or sacrifice fly.
Harrison Bader muscled an inside fastball past first baseman David Thompson for a triple down the right-field line.
Right-hander Eric Whaley replaced the sophomore southpaw right after. Two throwing errors on pickoffs in the first and third from Suarez resulted in the first two runs for Florida.
“That’s big. I don’t think we’ve had a crooked number all year,” Justin Shafer said. “That was a good inning for us.”
The Gators haven’t started the fourth with a four-run lead all season. Right-hander Eric Hanhold reaped the benefits of an ignited offense during his second career start. He allowed two hits over 4.1 innings and 57 pitches. The freshman worked around three walks and a hit batter.
Right-handers Jay Carmichael, Ryan Harris and Johnny Magliozzi combined for 3.2 innings of one-run ball. Carmichael picked up the victory. Harris didn’t allow an earned run in five innings of relief this weekend.
Shafer added an RBI double in the fourth for Florida’s sixth run in the rubber match.
After Florida beat Miami on Saturday, the team took a sigh of relief. A late two-run single by Taylor Gushue helped the Gators relax. When they took the field in the finale, the Gators resembled the confident bunch from preseason practice and opening weekend.
Gushue wanted the Gators to carry over the emotions from the dramatic win the previous night. No late-game heroics were needed with the early offense.
“We got to stay upbeat,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “It’s a long season. To bounce back the way we did after a tough Friday night, I’m awfully proud of the way we played.”
Shortstop leaves game early: Martin suffered an injury to his right index finger while attempting a bunt in the fourth inning. Whaley plunked the freshman in the finger. Martin took off his right batting glove for athletic trainer Pat Hassell to examine his hand.
Senior Cody Dent continued the at-bat and executed a sacrifice bunt. He played the final six innings in the field. Martin left McKethan Stadium with his finger in a splint and taped up.
“I just know it swelled up right away,” O’Sullivan said. “He’ll get an x-ray tomorrow morning at 8.”
He extended his hitting streak to 10 games and is the only Florida player to have reached base in every game this season.
Hitting improves for the Gators: Florida huddled in the dugout before the bottom half of the third. It was time to execute its plan at the plate. The Gators wanted to simplify their approach and take advantage of the fastball.
“Just get good pitches to hit,” Shafer said. “[Suarez] was throwing strikes, so we needed to attack just like he is.”
Three hits and four runs later, Florida finally took control of a game in its early going. The numbers read 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position and six left on base, but Florida did its job at the plate on Sunday. Twenty-six hits during the weekend marked the most in its first three series.
Shafer hit 7 for 12 with three doubles and an RBI. The sophomore extended a 10-game hitting streak as well. Gushue knocked in a team-leading four runs during the weekend. Bader went 2 for 4 with a triple and a single in the finale.
Starters winless as bullpen innings pile up: A leadoff walk around the fourth or fifth inning usually spells the end for a Florida starter. O’Sullivan walks to the mound and calls on the usual cast of characters — Ryan Harris, Jay Carmichael or Johnny Magliozzi. The three relievers have the most appearances for Florida this season.
Harris has thrown more innings than any other pitcher on the Florida staff.
No starting pitcher has factored in a decision this season. Hanhold came the closest only to exit the game with a three-run lead before he finished the fifth on Sunday.
“We’ve used our bullpen pretty extensively,” O’Sullivan said. “We need some other guys to step up. That’s what we were talking about at the end of the game.”
O’Sullivan mentioned left-handers Danny Young, Parker Danciu and Corey Stump along with right-handers Mike Vinson and Shafer as some of the pitchers he wanted to see garner more innings.
Florida plays a home-and-home against Jacksonville early next week. The Gators visit the Dolphins at John Sessions Stadium Tuesday night at 6 and host them on Wednesday night at 7.
Contact Adam Pincus at apincus@alligator.org.
Freshman shortstop Richie Martin attempts to steal third base during Florida’s 16-5 win against Duke on Sunday at McKethan Stadium. Martin left Florida's 6-3 series-clinching win against Miami on Sunday after beating hit by a pitch in the hand.
