Needing clutch outs to preserve a sweep-avoiding win, coach Kevin O’Sullivan turned to the loser.
In Florida’s past two games, reliever Michael Byrne allowed extra-inning runs to give Tennessee a pair of wins. In both games, he took the loss. But with runners on second and third, no outs and a one-run lead, he was the man O’Sullivan wanted on the mound.
He started by inducing a fly ball to shallow centerfield that looked poised to tie the game. But shortstop Dalton Guthrie tracked it down, making a sliding catch with his eyes facing the outfield.
“I kinda just turned around, looked back up at one point, and it was there,” Guthrie said, adding that it was a lucky play.
Byrne followed that up with a strikeout. He clapped his glove and started walking toward the dugout, appearing to think the inning was over. He denied thinking that after the game.
“I don’t even know what was going through my head,” he said. “I just wanted to get back on the mound and get that third out.”
After walking the next Tennessee hitter to load the bases, it was up to Justin Ammons. He worked the count full. He fouled off two pitches. And finally, he chopped a ball back at Byrne, who jumped to grab it and threw to first for the out.
“I always get made fun of because I’m not an athlete — they think,” Byrne said. “They’re wrong.”
From there, Tennessee never threatened again. Behind another scoreless inning from Byrne, the Gators preserved a 5-4 win and avoided being swept by the Volunteers for the first time since 2001. It was, however, their first series loss to UT since 2008.
“It’s unfortunate that he’s got two L's next to his name, but it wasn’t because of him,” O’Sullivan said of Byrne. “It wasn’t because of him at all.”
Aside from Byrne’s exciting eighth inning, the game hinged on two more moments, starting in the bottom of the fourth. That’s when Guthrie tapped home plate with the game teetering toward a blowout.
The bases were loaded, no one was out and Florida’s junior shortstop faced a 3-0 count with a two-run lead.
He took first on a walk, forcing in a run.
He also caused Tennessee (17-12, 3-9 SEC) to make a pitching change, and on his first two tosses, UT’s Eric Freeman served up a pair of RBIs. The No. 8 Gators (21-11, 6-6 SEC) cleared the bases.
As it turned out, those three runs were the difference in the game.
The other key moment came in the top of the sixth.
After coming in with the bases loaded and no outs, freshman reliever Garrett Milchin drilled the first batter he faced.
“Here we go again,” someone yelled from the stands.
Milchin then induced a pop out, and it looked like the inning was going to be over on a groundball to third. It looked like a double play. But the runner beat the throw to first, and another run scored. A hit to right field scored another before Milchin finally stopped the damage just in time.
“We weren’t playing our best ball,” Guthrie said, “and we found a way to win.”
Nobody stood out for Florida aside from Byrne. Starter Jackson Kowar moved to 5-0 on the season with a win, but he lasted five innings and allowed three earned runs.
On offense, meanwhile, four Gators had RBIs while six had hits. Nelson Maldonado and Christian Hicks had hits two apiece.
O’Sullivan said he thought the offense improved over the weekend, adding that it’ll need to be consistent with the team facing a four-game road stretch against No. 24 Florida State and Vanderbilt.
“It is what it is at this point,” O’Sullivan said. “We’ll continue to work and hopefully get some good at bats with runners in scoring position.”
Contact Ethan Bauer at ebauer@alligator.org or follow him on Twitter @ebaueri.
UF reliever Michael Byrne throws a pitch during Florida's 3-2 loss in 10 innings to Tennessee on April 8, 2017, at McKethan Stadium.
