The Gators erased any doubt they would have to play their fourth straight extra-inning game in a big way Wednesday night.
Florida (11-6), which used 11 pitchers last weekend, drove in seven eighth-inning runs en route to a 13-5 victory against Illinois State (9-5) at McKethan Stadium. The Gators’ 13 runs were a season high. They doubled their home-run output to four. They sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning.
Casey Turgeon hit a grand slam off Jack Czeszewski, who had the forgettable stat line of seven earned runs in a third of an inning. Florida entered the frame with a 6-5 lead only to blow the game wide open off a depleted Illinois State pitching staff that had completed a three-game tournament in Winter Haven the night before.
“I didn’t think I hit it really well, but you never knew what those flags are doing. It was blowing pretty hard,” Turgeon said. “We answered really well. We’re going in the right track.”
Until the eighth, Florida’s early offense in the third inning looked like it would be enough. Nursing a one-run lead off a passed ball, third-base coach Craig Bell dialed up a double steal to advance Richie Martin and Turgeon to third and second.
Taylor Gushue did the rest, hooking a fastball just inside the right-field line for a bases-clearing double.
Florida chased Illinois State starter J.D. Learnard after three innings. Right-hander Matt Lambert didn’t fare any better, allowing three runs in the fifth. Martin reached on a fielding error by shortstop Dennis Colon to lead off the inning. With Turgeon batting, he swiped second for his team-leading sixth stolen base of 2014.
Freshman Peter Alonso drove Martin in on a grounder that went under Stewart’s glove before Braden Mattson reached the last row of metal bleachers in left-center. The blast gave Florida a five-run lead and marked the first home run by a Florida player not named Taylor Gushue.
“That one was good,” Mattson said. “Thank God it was windy.”
Illinois State scored its first run on Wednesday on a bloop single into left field off Danny Young. The Redbirds added four more in the eighth on two walks and five singles against five different relievers. Both teams couldn’t seem to register an out in an inning that never wanted to end.
Three different Florida pitchers — Kirby Snead, Ryan Harris and Bobby Poyner — faced the bases loaded before right-hander Eric Hanhold stopped the hemorrhaging.
“I guess if there is only one negative in the game, I don’t think we pitched very well in the eighth there,” O’Sullivan said. “We made it very interesting, but our bullpen has been really good the whole year and we responded with seven in the bottom of the eighth.”
Florida’s offense gave freshman Brett Morales early run support to work with. After starting the season as the No. 2 starter, the right-hander surrendered four-earned runs in a five-batter relief appearance his last time out on Feb. 28.
Morales showed poise, escaping a fourth-inning, bases-loaded jam in his third collegiate start.
He hit Mason Snyder to load the bases before punching out No. 8 batter Brock Stewart on an outside fastball to end the inning. Four of his career-high five strikeouts came immediately after allowing a baserunner.
The Tampa native followed up the stellar starting pitching that carried Florida to a series sweep of Connecticut with 4.1 innings of one-run ball.
“I thought Brett’s start was really good. Definitely a step in the right direction and more of what we saw in the preseason,” O’Sullivan said.
Florida won its fifth-straight game for the first time since completing its home sweep of then-No.8 South Carolina on April 13, 2013.
The Gators wound up winning eight in a row before going on a late-season swoon that saw them lose 12 of their final 19 games.
They start Southeastern Conference play on Friday in a three-game home series against Arkansas. They’ll be coming off a game where they knocked in 13 runs on 12 hits.
Mattson wasn’t shy when asked whether the pop Florida showed is something to be expected.
“No doubt.”
Follow Adam Pincus on Twitter @adamDpincus
Casey Turgeon swings during Florida’s 4-0 win against Maryland on Feb. 14 at McKethan Stadium.
