In a season where non-conference midweek matchups have proved to be potential pitfalls for Florida, coach Kevin O’Sullivan needed a strong performance from the top of his lineup to turn the tide Tuesday night against USF.
Within the first two innings, O’Sullivan got the answer he was looking for and, as a result, the No. 8 Gators (35-18) finished its home schedule with an 8-2 victory against the visiting Bulls (25-27).
Brett Morales, Florida’s starting pitcher Tuesday night, gave up a run in each of the first two innings, which were USF’s only two runs of the game. Down 2-1 heading into the bottom of the second frame, the Gators top three hitters in the lineup responded to spark a five-run inning.
After a throwing error by Bulls starting pitcher Lawrence Pardo that allowed Ryan Larson to score from first to tie the game at 2-2, UF loaded the bases with a Buddy Reed single, a Casey Turgeon walk and a Richie Martin hit by pitch.
On a 1-0 count, Harrison Bader lined the ball down the left-field line to clear the bases for a three-RBI double to give UF a 5-2 lead.
“I thought Harrison’s (Bader) at bat was the probably the biggest with the bases loaded and kind of helped us relax and settle in,” O’Sullivan said.
Turgeon, Martin and Bader, who are the Gators first three hitters in the top of the lineup, finished the game 6-for-10 at the plate while scoring six of Florida’s eight total runs. Each of the three hitters also recorded one walk each.
“That’s Casey (Turgeon) and I’s job in the beginning of the game; we need to get on base,” Martin said. “Our roles change during the game but obviously we try to get on base and let the big hitters do some damage.”
Martin not only led the team with his 3-for-3 performance at the plate along with his three runs, but the sophomore shortstop also excelled on the basepaths for the Gators.
Martin recorded his 16th stolen base of the season, which leads the squad. Also, two of his three runs scored came on wild pitches including the eighth and final run for Florida in the bottom of the eighth inning.
“He ran the bases extremely well,” O’Sullivan said. “He was aggressive. That was a really, really instinctual play at third with two outs there to score the eighth run.”
After dropping three straight midweek matchups to Mercer, Florida A&M and Jacksonville, UF came through in the clutch with its 14th comeback victory to improve to 9-4 this season in midweek games.
With the postseason looming, O’Sullivan said Tuesday night’s contest was a good challenge for his team to get in the right playoff mindset.
“We talked about that today,” O’Sullivan said. “We need to learn to understand that very shortly here, there’s going to be games being played where if you lose, this season is over. We need to play with a little more urgency.
“I don’t want them to think they just need to turn the switch on in the regional or on Thursday night. We needed to start doing this now. We need to play every game like it’s our last.
“We needed to play with some urgency and intensity and not come into this game like we have in some midweek games kind of flat. We needed to try and show that.”
The Gators concluded their home schedule with a record of 23-11 and head back on the road to face Tennessee in the final series of the regular season that begins at 6 p.m.
“We should go in and try to win every game,” Martin said. “If we do that, we put our destiny in our own hands.”
Follow Jonathan Czupryn on Twitter @jczupryn
Richie Martin hits during Florida’s 9-7 loss against Maryland on Feb. 15 at McKethan Stadium. Martin went 3-for-3 at the plate and scored three runs in UF's 8-2 win against USF on Tuesday.
