GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Gators defeated the Jacksonville Dolphins Tuesday night 8-4 for the season sweep. It is also Florida’s sixth-straight midweek victory and their fifth victory in six games.
Although Jacksonville gave Florida a scare in the top of the eighth, scoring three runs to cut the lead to two. The Gators answered with two runs in the bottom of the eighth though to extend the lead to 8-4. That proved to be too much, and the Gators walked out with the win.
Jacob Young turned out the best game for Florida at the plate, going 3-4 with three RBI. His single to center field in the eighth drove in those two runs to double up the score.
Wil Dalton also had himself a solid game at the plate, going 2-4 with an RBI and one run scored. Judd Fabian and Brady McConnell also both went 1-3 with one run scored apiece and one RBI driven in apiece.
Nolan Crisp earned the start on the mound for the Gators and was given the win for the game. His night wouldn’t last very long though as he was subbed for Justin Alintoff in the fourth.
In total the Gators and Dolphins combined to use 12 pitchers in the game with no pitcher throwing more than 50 total pitches (Crisp).
The Game began on the wrong foot for the Gators as Jacksonville drew first blood in the first off a sac-fly by Angel Camacho to score Ruben Someillan. Thankfully for the Gators they were able to end the half-inning shortly there after.
And they responded. Right out of the gate McConnell homered to left to tie things up. Then Dalton singled through left, driving in Austin Langworthy after the Gators loaded the bases.
Cory Acton was able to drive in a couple more to make it 5-1 before the end of the first. The next five innings would be won by the defense however. Neither team scored and neither was really able to find much success at all at the plate.
There would be a hit here and there, but nobody could really get ahold of a pitch and put together a good inning at the plate. That was until the sixth inning.
After Alintoff worked the Dolphins in the top of the sixth the Gators were able to find success at the plate. Dalton singled up the middle and was moved to second when Acton grounded out and Fabian drove him in with a single to left to make it 6-1.
The eighth inning is where things intensified. Jacksonville was finally able to break through with their bats, adding three runs. Camacho homered to left to start things off, Jacob Southern singled to left and then Cory Garrastazu homered to right to drive in he and Southern.
It brought the Dolphins within two and the pressure was on.
The Gators responded in kind, with two more runs in the bottom of the inning to double the score up. Jordan Butler was walked to begin the inning and then advanced to second on a passed ball.
After two quick outs it looked as if the Gators weren’t going to be able to add anything in this inning, but then Fabian was walked and they were both advanced on a double steal. Then Young singled to center to drive them both in and end any hope of a comeback from Jacksonville.
Nick Pogue ended the game at the mound for the Gators working the order 1-2-3. The Gators continued to struggle, as they have all season, giving up too many hits (10) but they didn’t allow those hits to turn into runs for the most part while they turned 11 hits into eight runs.
Next up the Gators will travel to Baton Rouge to take on LSU Thursday to begin a weekend series with the Tigers.
