During a midgame interview with ESPN, coach Kevin O’Sullivan credited UF’s success late in the regular season to its ability to hit in the clutch.
However, top-seeded Florida failed to come through at the plate in its 4-2 loss to No. 9-seed Kentucky on Wednesday in the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament.
Freshman Logan Shore suffered his third loss of the season after giving up four earned runs on six hits in 5.2 innings of work. The Coon Rapids, Minn., native threw 102 pitches in the contest — two shy of his season high set on March 14 against Arkansas — while fanning five batters in the process. Shore threw 35 pitches in the first inning alone with three Kentucky batters having at-bats of at least six pitches in the frame.
“I thought he made some good pitches,” O’Sullivan said of Shore’s first inning. “I just credit Kentucky’s hitters. They did a nice job of extending some at-bats on some really quality pitches.”
The Gators (37-20) logged just six hits and struck out seven times against the Wildcats (34-22) at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium and did not have back-to-back hits in the contest. Kentucky pitcher Kyle Cody retired 10 consecutive Gators before walking shortstop Richie Martin in the bottom of the sixth.
Kentucky jumped to a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI double by left fielder Ka’ai Tom and a sacrifice fly by first baseman Thomas Bernal.
Florida cut that lead in half in the second frame after right fielder Braden Mattson, who led off the inning with his fifth double of the year and was the only UF player to have multiple hits, advanced to third on a Zack Powers groundout and then made it home on a Peter Alonso groundout to shortstop.
The Wildcats then added two insurance runs in the third inning when third baseman Max Kuhn hit a home run over the left-field fence — the first home run Shore surrendered all season.
Florida’s biggest opportunity to close the gap against Kentucky came in the sixth inning.
The Gators loaded the bases with one out on a Martin walk, a Harrison Bader single and a Taylor Gushue walk. Mattson hit a sac fly to right-center field to score Martin, but Powers then lined out to end the inning and strand the other two baserunners.
UF finished the game with five runners left on base.
Florida now enters the loser’s bracket and risks being eliminated from the SEC Tournament without a win for the second straight year.
A television broadcast contributed to this report.
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
Braden Mattson dives toward first base during Florida’s 1-0 win against Arkansas on March 15 at McKethan Stadium. Mattson recorded one RBI and one run during UF’s 4-2 loss to Kentucky on Wednesday.
