“The chess match is ratcheted up.”
That’s how ESPN play-by-play commentator Tom Hart described the baseball game between Florida and LSU in the eighth inning as Florida (42-15, 20-10 SEC) elected to bring in a tandem of relievers to try to hold off the Tigers (34-25, 15-15 SEC).
In the second round of the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama, the Gators beat the Tigers 4-3 to snap their four-game losing streak.
Seven pitches into the game, it looked as if it would be all Florida. LSU pitching coach Alan Dunn made a trip to the mound after pitcher Ma’Khail Hilliard walked the opening batter, Deacon Liput. Hilliard would respond by recording three straight outs.
Freshman Tommy Mace got the surprise start for the Gators as normal starter Brady Singer was held out for the second-consecutive start. JJ Schwarz also sat after breaking his hand in the Mississippi State series and will be re-evaluated after the SEC Tournament.
The Tigers backed up Hilliard in the top of the second inning. After UF second baseman Blake Reese recorded a throwing error to put a runner on first, the very next batter, LSU third baseman Jake Slaughter, uncorked a bomb to deep left field that easily cleared the fence to put his team up 2-0.
One inning later, Tigers left fielder Daniel Cabrera hit an RBI single off Mace into right field to plate right fielder Antoine Duplantis from second, putting them up 3-0.
Florida would punch right back, though.
After a single and a walk put men on first and second, Liput doubled to deep left center to bring center fielder Nick Horvath home and catcher Cal Greenfield to third.
Greenfield scored the very next play as designated hitter Nelson Maldonado grounded out to second base. Liput advanced to third on the same play.
With one out in the inning and a man on third, LSU elected to bring the infield in to try to throw Liput out at the plate. SEC Player of the Year and UF third baseman Jonathan India came up to bat and scorched a single through the gap between the third baseman and the shortstop, scoring Liput and tying it up at three.
Austin Langworthy knocked an RBI single through Hilliard’s legs in the bottom of the fifth and the right hander was pulled from the game with the score at 4-3.
Mace wasn’t pulled until he finished the seventh inning. He gave up three runs (one earned) before the Gators brought in reliever Jordan Butler. Butler gave up a single and recorded an out before being taken out for closer Michael Byrne.
Byrne struggled in UF’s previous series with Mississippi State, but recorded 1.2 scoreless innings to earn the save.
Although Florida scraped out the win, errors plagued the team. Reese was pulled in favor of second baseman Shane Shifflett after recording two errors, and India had two errors as well. As a team that prides itself on defense, the errors were uncharacteristic, especially from the fleet-footed India.
He redeemed himself in the eighth inning, though. After Shifflett recorded a nice play on a chopping grounder the previous play, India made a diving play to preserve the lead.
Slaughter laced a grounder down the left-field baseline with two outs and the bases loaded. The third baseman laid out about ten feet behind the bag, snagged the grounder, got up and fired a dart to first to record the out.
In a television interview after the game, India was shown the play for the first time.
“Oh…wow…it happened so quick I barely remember it,” he said. “Not playing well defensively this game, made a couple errors…all my teammates picked me after, saying, ‘Listen man, that’s not you. Just stay with the game and you’re going to get another ground ball.’”
Had India made a poor throw or missed the ball completely, at least one Tiger would have scored, if not more.
He also shined at the plate, going 2 for 4 with an RBI. The only other Gator to record at least two hits was Horvath, who went 2 for 3.
LSU now faces No. 23 South Carolina, while UF plays No. 8 Arkansas at 9:30 p.m.
You can follow Chris O’Brien on Twitter @THEChrisOB or contact him at cobrien@alligator.org.
Although junior Jonathan India recorded two errors on Wednesday night, he made a defensive play to preserve UF's 4-3 lead over LSU. He also batted 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.
