GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Brady McConnell has been a rock at the top of the Gator lineup all season long. The redshirt-freshman entered Thursday night's contest against South Carolina batting .385 and sat second in the SEC in hits with 52.
He added another hit in a big way against the Gamecocks.
With the game in a scoreless deadlock in the bottom of the third inning, Florida strung a pair of base runners together with walks from Jud Fabian and Blake Reese.
Two batters later, McConnell would be on the attack. On the first pitch he saw from South Carolina starter Reid Morgan, the Gator lead-off hitter ripped a massive swing on a slider that soared over the right field wall and hit about 15 feet up on the net behind the fence.
“He left it over the plate, it was a first pitch slider, and I sat on it well and took it the other way. I was glad to lead the game off like that, get the lead,” McConnell said.
The blast made it 3-0 Gators and set the tone for the rest of the ball game. Florida (23-13, 5-8 SEC)took the series opener, besting South Carolina (20-14, 3-10 SEC) 9-5.
Despite the win, Florida struggled on the mound. Combined, the Florida pitchers allowed eight walks and four wild pitches. Three of South Carolina’s five runs were scored on wild pitches.
“We’re just not throwing the ball across the plate,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said, “it’s kind of been the same thing all year long. We’re falling behind lead-off hitters of innings way too much. Tonight I think we walked the lead-off man three times and hit the lead-off man another time so they got on base four times out of nine to start innings.”
The home run was McConnell’s team high seventh of the season and it sparked a six-run onslaught in the third that gave Florida a commanding lead.
Following McConnell’s homer, Austin Langworthy kept things going by smashing a double to left-center field. Nelson Maldonado followed that up with a single to left that put runners on the corners.
Kendrick Calilao then drove in hs team high 37th RBI of the year, lacing a single to right field that brought Langworthy home to make it 4-0.
Another run would score when Cory Acton mirrored Calilao’s base hit, bringing home Maldonado with a base hit of his own. Fabian then came around to bat for the second time in the inning and dropped a single into right field that scored Caliao and made it 6-0.
“He’s (South Carolina starter Reid Morgan) been really effective against right-handed hitters, that’s why we played Blake (Reese) tonight for a left-handed bat, that’s why we moved Langworthy up to the two spot, he’s been swinging the bat better but wanted to do that because the success left-handers have been having against him,” O’Sullivan said.
The six run lead would be plenty of run support for Gator starter Tommy Mace. Mace wasn’t particularly stellar on the night, he hit two batters and allowed three walks, but he pitched well with runners on the base paths to neutralize any South Carolina threat.
The right-handed sophomore went six full innings, allowing two run on three hits while striking out six on the night.
He allowed a run in the fifth inning when George Callil hit a sacrifice-fly to center field that allowed Jonah Beamon to tag from third and barely beat the throw home from Jud Fabian and make it 6-1.
Florida added on another run in the bottom of the frame. Calilao recorded his second base hit of the night by smacking a two-out single to center field. Acton then came to the plate and launched an opposite field double to left field that rolled to the wall. This allowed Calilao to race home from first and make it 7-1.
Both Calilao and Acton finished the night 3-4. Calilao had three singles and scored three runs while Acton knocked in two doubles, two RBI’s and scored a run.
South Carolina cut the lead in the top of the seventh though. After Hunter Ruth relieved Mace, things got out of hand. Ruth allowed two wild pitches that scored both Gamecock runs and made it 7-3.
Nolan Crisp then entered and immediately recorded the final out, getting Luke Berryhill to line out to Blake Reese at second.
The Gators added a couple of insurance runs in the eighth. After the bases became loaded, Calilao scored his third run of the night on a wild pitch to make it 8-3. Fabian then added another score, hitting a sacrifice-fly to center field that brought Acton home and extended the lead to 9-3.
The Gamecocks would hang around in the ninth though, adding a run against Crisp when Noah Campbell slipped a double down the left-field line that scored Beamon.
Ben Specht came in after the lead was trimmed and allowed another run before recording the games final out.
“I’m excited we won, obviously, it’s a lot better than the other outcome, at the same token, I don’t want us to be fooled and thinking that we’re playing at out best because we’re not,” O’Sullivan said.
Seven of the Gator nine starters recorded base hits on the night, totaling 11 for the game.
McConnell finished the night 1-4 with his three-run home run and now has 29 RBI’s on the year. Fabian also drove in a pair of runs and reached base three times.
The Gators will look to clinch the series on Friday night. Christian Scott (3-1, 3.60 ERA) will be on the mound for Florida while Cam Tringali (1-0, 3.03 ERA) will start for South Carolina. First pitch is at 6:30pm.
