GAINESVILLE, Fla.- The offense once again was the catalyst that propelled the Florida Gator baseball team to victory on Friday night.
The Gators used a trio of home runs to take an early lead against the visiting Kentucky Wildcats, and then held on to pick up the series opening win 10-8.
“It just shows that we have grit,” Nelson Maldonado said of the win. “We’ve had a lot of tough games this year and we’ve battled the whole way.”
Florida (27-17, 8-11 SEC) survived multiple Kentucky (21-21, 4-15 SEC) comeback attempts to hold onto the win. The Gators tallied 13 base hits on the night and got to Kentucky pitching early and often.
Pitching was once again an issue for the Gators as, despite the double-digit base hits, kept Kentucky in the game, allowing five walks and allowing nine base hits.
“The lead-off hitter has been our issue the entire year,” Kevin O’Sullivan said. “It hasn’t been defensively it’s been through the pitching staff, working too many counts, working too many deep counts.”
The Gators struck early to snatch a quick lead from Kentucky. Brady McConnell led off the bottom of the first inning by blasting a solo-home run to left field. McConnell’s 10th home run of the season made it 1-0 Florida.
Nelson Maldonado extended the Florida lead to 4-0 an inning later, crushing a home run of his own. After Jud Fabian doubled to left-center and Austin Langworthy worked a walk, Maldonado blasted his seventh homer of the season.
“I was just looking for a pitch up to hit,I know he was working offspeed early in the count so I was willing to take any off speed,” Maldonado said.
Kentucky battled back in the fourth inning though. The Wildcats loaded the bases after Ryan Johnson was hit by a pitch, Ryan Shinn singled, and Elliot Curtis drew a walk. A run scored when Austin Schulz grounded into a 4-6-3 double play,making it a 4-1 game.
However, it quickly became 4-3 when Coltyn Kessler clobbered a two-run home run to right field off Tommy Mace.
Mace’s night did not last as long as planned.
In the top of the fifth inning, Johnson ripped a line drive straight back towards the pitchers mound that connected with the right side of Mace’s head. Trainers immediately rushed out to the field and the Gator starting pitcher was quickly escorted into the locker room.
“He’s okay, we really dodged a bullet there,” O’Sullivan said. “When it first happened we thought it caught him flush.”
On the play, another run scored for Kentucky as Johnsons line drive deflected into right field and brought home Marshall Gei toie the game at 4-4.
The Gators didn’t let the game stay tied for long. Florida used a two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth to retake the lead.
“That motivated us a little bit more,”Maldonado said of Mace leaving the game, “it motivated us to get this win for him.”
It started off with Cory Acton’s single to right field, putting a runner on base. A batter later, Wil Dalton showed that he still has plenty of power, smashing a two-run home run to left-center field that made it 6-4 Gators.
Back-to-back doubles from Brady Smith and Jacob Young plated another run as Smith came home on Young’s base knock, making it 7-4.
Florida allowed a pair of rebound runs in the top of the sixth.
Kentucky loaded the bases, thanks to an error on a McConnell throw to first on Schultz’s ground ball, and singles from Kessler and Breydon Daniel. Jaren Shelby made it 7-5, scoring Schultz on a sacrifice-fly to center field.
Gator relief pitcher Christian Scott then walked both Gei and Zeke Lewis to load the bases and bring Kessler home to make it a one run game.
Jordan Butler was then inserted on the mound, and was able to record the final out of the inning by striking out Shinn.
Once again, Florida responded to its lead being cut - McConnell and Langworthy led off the bottom of the sixth inning by each drawing walks.
Maldonado then came to the plate and delivered. The senior captain scorched a ball down the left field line that rolled to the wall,scoring both McConnell and Langworthy to make it 9-6.
“You gotta go into those situations relaxed, you never want to be tensed up, you never want to be too anxious at the plate, you just got to look for your pitch and put a good swing on it,” Maldonado said.
The double gave Maldonado his fifth RBI of the night, setting a new career high for the Gator designated hitter.
Another run was added on Dalton’s sacrifice-fly to right field that brought home Maldonado and made it 10-6.
To continue with the trend of the game, Kentucky responded with runs of its own in the top of the seventh.
Shinn reached base to start the inning by hitting a fly-ball to right field that was misplayed and dropped by Dalton. Two batters later, Schultz singled to left field and Schinn reached third.
Kessler pushed Schinn across the plate, singling to right field that made it 10-7.
The Wildcats then cut the deficit to two runs, scoring another run on Daniel’s sacrifice-fly to right field that brought home Schultz, making it 10-8.
The combination of Butler and Nolan Crisp were able to finish off the Wildcats in the eighth and ninth inning, keeping Kentucky off the scoreboard and securing the 10-8 win.
“We didn’t do a very good job with the eight and nine hole hitters,” O’Sullivan said, “I don’t know how many times we walked them tonight. Obviously everyone has go their top four-five hitters in their lineup are dangerous so we just got to do a little bit better job at the bottom half of the order.”
The eight and nine hole hitters for Kentucky combined four four walks on the night.
Both Maldonado and Smith had three hits on the night to pace the Gator offense.
Florida will look to take the series from Kentucky on Saturday night. Jack Leftwich is scheduled to get the start for the Gators with first pitch set for 6:30pm.
