The UF baseball team solved the issues that plagued it in Game 1 of its series with the Yale Bulldogs.
Florida topped the Bulldogs 15-1 and earned its fourth weekend series win of the season on Saturday at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium.
The Gators blew up offensively behind strong performances in the second, third and fifth innings.
Senior designated hitter Nelson Maldonado put Florida (12-5) on the board in the second with his second solo shot in as many games. Two batters later, freshman center fielder Jud Fabian sent a 2-1 pitch over the left-field wall, scoring left fielder Austin Langworthy to extend the lead to 3-0.
After plating two in the third, Florida brought a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning.
Florida scored eight runs off of six hits during the frame to extend its lead to 13-1.
With the bases loaded and nobody out, freshman third baseman Cory Acton hit a ground ball to second base.
Yale second baseman Dai Dai Otaka went for a fielder's choice at second, and an errant throw made its way to right field, allowing the Gators to convert, upping the score to 7-1.
Freshman second baseman Jacob Young added two more after a two-RBI single to right scored Acton and Fabian.
Young has made the most of his increased playing time recently. He went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and a double on Saturday. Over his last five starts, the Ponte Vedra, Florida, native has 13 hits and nine RBIs.
"We're seeing the ball really well right now," Young said. "Everyone's hitting. One through nine, everyone's coming in swinging so it's really nice."
A wild pitch, an RBI single by sophomore pinch-hitter Jordan Butler and an RBI groundout by Maldonado elevated UF's lead to 12-1.
Langworthy completed the scoring with an RBI double that scored freshman first baseman Kendrick Calilao.
Florida's offense has scored more than 10 runs in four of its last seven games, ahead of the start of conference play on March 15.
"This is where we tune it up," Maldonado said. "This is where we do everything we can to get ready for SEC play because that's when the grind starts."
New Saturday starter sophomore Jack Leftwich picked up his fourth victory of the season.
Leftwich pitched five innings, giving up eight hits and just one earned run while fanning five Yale batters.
His first start in the Saturday slot was just like any other for the right-hander.
"Right now, he's dealing with a blister on his finger," O'Sullivan said. "Despite the injury, he looked good, he hung in there really well."
Follow Evan Lepak on Twitter @evanmplepak and contact him at elepak@alligator.org.
Jack Leftwich made his first start in the Saturday slot against Yale and picked up his fourth victory of the season. He pitched five innings, gave up eight hits and just one earned run while fanning five Yale batters.
