Deacon Liput rested his hands on his hips.
The ball thrown to first base had just slipped past his glove, allowing a Florida State runner to reach base and another runner to cross home.
But it wasn’t just UF’s inconsistent fielding that led to its 3-0 loss to FSU in Game 1 of the NCAA Super Regionals on Saturday night.
It was the Gators’ offense, too.
FSU pitcher Drew Carlson breezed through Florida’s lineup inning after inning, even holding Peter Alonso, who had homered three times in the last three games, to an 0-for-3 outing.
After Carlton (8-3) totaled 107 pitches through the first eight innings, the sophomore went to FSU coach Mike Martin with a request — to let him finish the game.
“We were not going to argue with him,” Martin said.
The closest No. 1-seed Florida (50-14) came to breaking out of its offensive slump was in the seventh inning, when JJ Schwarz’s line drive to center looked to fall and give UF its third hit of the night. Instead, FSU’s center fielder made a diving catch, and Schwarz trotted back to his dugout with his team still down three.
Carlton retired the final 19 batters he faced, holding UF without a base runner after the third inning.
“We just didn’t hit,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “Carlton was just too great.”
Only two Florida players — freshman Danny Reyes and junior Buddy Reed — recorded a hit. The rest went a combined 0-for-22.
“(Carlton) pitched good,” said sophomore catcher Mike Rivera, whose team was held scoreless in an NCAA Tournament game at home for the first time in program history. “We just didn’t hit. It’s that simple.”
The Gators didn’t go with their usual Game 1 starter, opting for sophomore Alex Faedo instead of Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year Logan Shore.
Faedo (13-2) was dominant to start, striking out five batters in the first two innings, including three straight to end the second. But the right-hander began to lose his command in the fourth inning after he surrendered a double, two walks and hit FSU’s Quincy Nieporte in his left shoulder.
Faedo was pulled in the fifth for junior Dane Dunning.
“However you shake it, if Logan pitches tonight, it’s the same score. It doesn’t matter,” O’Sullivan said. “You’ve got to score to give yourself a chance. It didn’t matter who was starting tonight.”
Florida next faces FSU (41-20) in Game 2 on Saturday at 6 p.m., where the Gators will have to win to avoid elimination from the NCAA Tournament. Shore will draw the start for Florida.
“The series isn’t over. No one’s going to Omaha tonight,” O’Sullivan said. “We have the SEC Pitcher of the Year pitching tomorrow. They’ve got a freshman named (Tyler) Holton. I like our chances.”
Contact Ian Cohen at icohen@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @icohenb.
Kevin O'Sullivan (right) visits the mound during Florida's 4-3 win over Missouri on March 18, 2016, at McKethan Stadium.
