John Sternagel raised his finger to the sky as he rounded first base. He did it again once he crossed home plate. The freshman just delivered a one-run lead by sending a baseball into the tan glove of a fan standing in the left-field bleachers.
Sternagel’s first-career home run scored the go-ahead run in a 3-2 Game 1 victory of a day-night doubleheader on Saturday at McKethan Stadium. No. 9 Florida (26-13, 11-6 Southeastern Conference) clinched the series against the Georgia Bulldogs (21-17-1, 7-9-1 SEC) with an 8-1 win in Game 2.
“I’m a big believer in the Almighty. I actually play with a cross in my pocket,” Sternagel said. “So walking up there I would say a quick little prayer, go in there and do my thing. I wanted to give him a little glory when I finally got one out.”
Sternagel hit 3 for 6 on Saturday with two RBIs batting from the nine spot. He laughed sitting in the first-base dugout on Thursday when shortstop Richie Martin answered a question about playing alongside him in the infield.
He's given the Gators pop in the bottom of the order and provided stability in the field. Sternagel said he noticed opposing schools having trouble bunting and moving runners over in his freshman season.
Game 1 backed up that assertion. Georgia jumped out to a two-run lead on two two-out singles in the third and fourth innings. The Bulldogs could've had more had they've been able to drop down two sacrifice bunts. Florida responded with two runs in the fourth by the play of Braden Mattson, who reached on a drag bunt that died rolling along a soggy third base line.
He eliminated a force at second base by swiping the bag on a slider in the dirt to Peter Alonso. Taylor Gushue, who led off with a double, advanced to third on Mattson's bunt. Gushue scored on Alonso's groundout to second base.
Justin Shafer plated Mattson in the at-bat following Alonso with a line drive single into right-center. Florida left eight runners on base in both contests compared to Georgia's 17.
“We’ve been doing a good job. The way we have been manufacturing runs has been really important,” center fielder Harrison Bader said. “Playing for the big inning has been what we’ve been doing.”
In the third inning of Game 2, Georgia first baseman Daniel Nichols pulled his foot on Sternagel's infield single. Casey Turgeon and Martin reached on a fielder's choice and bunt single, respectively. UGA freshman starter Robert Tyler threw two wild pitches to eliminate a double play opportunity and bring in a run. With the infield in as a result, Harrison Bader drove in Florida's second run on a single that would've been corralled by third baseman Hunter Cole had he been playing normal depth.
Florida blew the game open in the fourth, scoring six runs fueled by Tyler's inability to throw strikes. The Gators sent nine batters to the plate. They had eight plate appearances with runners in scoring position. Their three outs came on a sacrifice fly, a sacrifice bunt and a pop out from Mattson that ended the inning.
Freshman right-hander Logan Shore earned his fourth victory of 2014 in Game 1 with five innings of two-run ball. Left-hander Bobby Poyner struck out a career-high seven batters in four innings in relief of Shore. Right-hander Aaron Rhodes picked up the win in Game 2, pitching 5.1 innings.
Shafer ended the first game of Florida’s doubleheader against then-No. 4 LSU on March 29 with a walk-off home run off All-American right-hander Aaron Nola. Another home run set the tone on Saturday.
“John got the big hit there. His first home run,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “It was one of those games where it felt like it was going to come down to one run, one swing, one play, one pitch.”
Follow Adam Pincus on Twitter at @adamDpincus
Harrison Bader slides into home during Florida’s 14-5 win against South Carolina on April 13, 2013. Bader and the Gators will look to sweep Georgia in their final matchup Sunday at noon.
