Strength versus strength.
Stout defense against potent offense.
At least, that’s what the narrative was supposed to be at the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, in a contest between the Florida Gators and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
The Florida pitching staff put ace Brady Singer on the mound to start the game against a Texas Tech offense that came into the contest hitting over .300 and slugging over .500.
This time around, offensive prevailed.
UF is now one game away from seeing its season end after a 6-3 loss to TTU early Monday morning.
The Gators made one mistake after another as they watched a potential win slip through their fingers.
Florida drew first blood when shortstop Deacon Liput was gifted a run on a balk from Texas Tech pitcher Dylan Dusek in the bottom of the third.
From there, it was all Red Raiders.
After third baseman Josh Jung singled into right field in the top of the fourth, a balk from Singer and a passed ball from catcher Jonah Girand advanced Jung to third. A sacrifice fly to left field from left fielder Grant Little brought him across the plate.
One inning later, TTU broke the game open with three runs amid a slew of UF errors. After Singer retired the first two batters, Texas Tech center fielder Cody Farhat singled up the middle to center field.
Then, Catcher Braxton Fulford hit a bouncing ball up the middle that Liput fielded cleanly, but he threw the ball wide left of his target at first. JJ Schwarz got the start at first for the game after sitting out the last month with a broken hand. He struggled though, going 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.
Right fielder Gabe Holt came up to bat after Fulford. Holt hit a ball to Schwarz that lipped off the first baseman’s glove and squirted into right field to score two runs. Holt was awarded a hit, but it was a play Schwarz was in position to make.
More trouble became of the Gators in the next frame.
Little singled up the middle and stole second before Red Raiders designated hitter Zach Rheams pounded a double off the right-field wall to score him.
Rheams plated a run on shortstop Michael Davis’ line-drive single to right-center.
Florida reduced the gap in the bottom of the seventh when designated hitter Nelson Maldonado uncorked a two-run home run to left field to make it 5-3, but the Red Raiders sealed it in the top of the ninth with the help of more UF defensive blunders.
After Gators closer Michael Byrne blew strike three past Farhat, catcher Brady Smith let the ball get away from him and Farhat reached on a dropped third strike.
A sacrifice bunt moved him to second, and Farhat made his way to home courtesy of a Holt single to right field.
Tech went three up, three down in the bottom of the ninth to ice the game.
Florida now plays an elimination game against Texas on Monday at 2 p.m.
Chris O’Brien is the assistant sports editor of the Alligator. Follow him on Twitter @THEChrisOB and contact him at cobrien@alligator.org.
UF pitcher Brady Singer threw 6.1 innings in UF's 6-3 loss to Texas Tech at the College World Series Sunday. He gave up five runs (two earned) on nine hits, no walks and five strikeouts.
