Kevin O’Sullivan walked to the mound to talk with starter Alex Faedo in the top of the first inning.
Just four at-bats into the game against top-ranked Texas A&M, Faedo had given up a leadoff home run and a pair of singles. A second run would come across later on a wild pitch.
O’Sullivan’s message to Faedo was simple.
“Just keep battling,” the ninth-year UF head coach told the sophomore.
After a 35-pitch, seven-batter first inning, Faedo did just that.
The right-handed pitcher followed his shaky initial frame with five scoreless innings, stymieing the Aggies’ offense as No. 2 Florida claimed the series behind a 7-2 victory on Saturday at McKethan Stadium. The Gators have now won 26 straight at home, extending the program record.
“That was just a gutsy, competitive, pitch-with-your-heart performance,” O’Sullivan said. “We needed that tonight.”
Faedo, starting the second game of the weekend series for the first time in his collegiate career, retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced, recording four of his seven strikeouts in that span and allowing just one walk. On the night, he threw 105 pitches, 67 for strikes.
The sophomore improved to 6-0 on the year and has 60 total strikeouts, tied for the lead in the NCAA.
He capped three of his innings with strikeouts, letting out a yell of excitement as he stepped off the mound after striking out the final batter in both the fifth and sixth innings.
“It was a great feeling,” Faedo said. “You want to go to college to play the No. 1 team in the country and beat the No. 1 team in the country, which is big.
“It really got me pumped up.”
Faedo didn’t have to do it alone, though.
For the second straight game, the Gators (27-3, 7-2 Southeastern Conference) sprayed 12 hits across the field and brought seven runs across home plate.
Six of the seven runs came with two outs on Saturday. Eight of Florida’s starters reached base.
“It was just a really gutsy performance from our team,” O’Sullivan said. “It needs to be that way if you’re going to beat a team like Texas A&M.”
Junior Peter Alonso led the way with a career-high four hits, including his second home run in as many days during the fourth inning. He also drove in three runs, two coming on two-out singles.
“I’m just excited that he’s getting going again,” O’Sullivan said.
After Texas A&M (22-6, 4-5 SEC) took the early 2-0 lead, Florida bounced back by putting up three runs in the home half of the first.
Alonso plated Dalton Guthrie with an RBI single through the left side and sophomore Mike Rivera added two more runs later in the inning with a single to left-center field that brought home Alonso and Deacon Liput.
Alonso added Florida’s next two runs on a two-out single in the second and his fourth-inning home run before Jeremy Vasquez closed scoring with an RBI double in the fourth and RBI single in the sixth.
Dane Dunning closed out the game with three shutout innings, striking out four batters and picking up his second save of the year.
“It’s really valuable to have him,” O’Sullivan said. “He’s a strike-thrower. He’s got a good arm. … We just rode him for the rest of the game and he did a really nice job.”
Florida looks to sweep the series on Sunday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. and junior A.J. Puk will draw the start for Florida.
Contact Jordan McPherson at jmcpherson@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @J_McPherson1126.
Alex Faedo pitches during Florida's 7-5 win over Missouri on March 20, 2016, at McKethan Stadium.
