Gators fall behind early, Dalton powers team to win
By Chris O'Brien | June 1, 2018The Columbia Lions came out firing on Friday afternoon against the Florida Gators.
The Columbia Lions came out firing on Friday afternoon against the Florida Gators.
“A new season starts tomorrow.”
This is familiar territory for the Florida Gators.
Not too much changed between days in the third round of the SEC Tournament after the game between the LSU Tigers and the Florida Gators (42-17, 20-10 SEC) got postponed from late Friday night until Saturday morning due to fog.
Arkansas relief pitcher Matt Cronin let out a yelp of relief.
“The chess match is ratcheted up.”
It has been a long time since Florida Gators baseball lost four-consecutive games.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team came into this weekend ready to play, as evidenced by its most recent drubbing of the Florida Gators.
Entering Friday night’s showdown in Starkville, Mississippi, the No. 1 Florida Gators had already clinched a share of the SEC title, and they were able to use this weekend’s series as a test for their pitchers before the postseason.
A baseball cruised through the air and fell down just inside the right-field line as a stampede of Mississippi State Bulldog baseball players circled the bases, finally coming to rest after plating two runs.
Camaraderie. Togetherness. Team.
No tears dropped, but a soft, bittersweet smile found its way onto senior JJ Schwarz’s face. Giving a small wave, it finally hit him that his last season in a Florida baseball jersey would soon come to an end.
All Jack Leftwich could do was watch as Georgia left fielder Keegan McGovern’s 3-run homer sailed over the scoreboard in right field.
As the ball left Blake Reese’s bat in the bottom of the sixth inning, there were only two people moving on the play.
Wil Dalton knew the ball was deep enough to win the game as soon as it left the bat.
Down 8-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday night, the Gators needed a jolt of energy.
The Gators tied the game at three apiece in the top of the third inning during Sunday’s series finale against Texas A&M. Florida recorded a run in much the same way it had scored many of its previous 17 runs against the Aggies: manufacturing chances off of smart base running and timely hitting.
After a leadoff walk to third baseman Jonathan India started the sixth inning in College Station, Texas, UF right fielder Wil Dalton stepped into the batter’s box.
If Thursday night’s game between the Auburn and Florida baseball teams was a carefully choreographed ballet, Friday night’s matchup was a chaotic mosh pit.
Gators third baseman Jonathan India hadn’t been himself recently.Well, relatively speaking. Since having his 24-game hitting streak interrupted in UF’s series against Kentucky, he’d gone 3-of-11 from the plate with a pair of RBIs and one home run.