The Florida baseball team once again struggled against Vanderbilt on Friday night, dropping the second game of the weekend series.

The Vanderbilt pitching limited the Gator bats to three base hit and defeated Florida for the second straight night in an 15-2 rout.

The lose for Florida marks their second straight SEC series lose of the season, more than the Gators had all of 2018. This is also the first time since 2013 that the Gators have dropped their first two SEC series of the season.

Vanderbilt starter Patrick Raby was good as advertised. Raby went six strong innings, not allowing a run and only one base hit. He also struck out seven and walked six.

For the Gators, Jack Leftwich had a rough outing. The sophomore pitcher only lasted three and two-thirds inning, allowing eight total runs, only six earned, on 12 hits.

Leftwich would survive the first and second innings, allowing two hits in each frame but keep the Commodores off the board.

Florida would be given a prime scoring chance in the top of the third, but failed to capitalize. Raby walked Brady Smith, Jacob Young and Brady McConnell to load the bases with two outs for Nelson Maldonado. With their best hitter at the plate, Florida seemed poised to strike first. However, Maldonado popped out to Julian Infante at first to end the threat and the inning.

Vanderbilt would make the Gators pay in the bottom half of the inning. Vandy scored six runs on six hits to break things wide open and take command of the game.

J.J. Bleday started things off with a single and Stephen Scott smacked a double to right-center field to put runners on second and third. Philip Clarke would draw a walk to load the bases for Harrison Ray. Ray would then drive in the games first run with an infield hit to third that scored Bleday.

An Ethan Paul single would make it 2-0, scoring Scott. Ty Duvall would then rip a double up the right field line that cleared the bases and extended the margin to 5-0. The Dores would add another run on a Cooper Davis double that brought Duvall home.

The scoring barrage would continue in the fourth. Paul would continue to hit well, smacking a two-run single to right field to make it 8-0. That would chase Leftwich from the game and mark the Gator pitchers shortest outing of the season.

Florida would pick up its first base hit of the game in the top of the fifth when Blake Reese shot a single into center field. However, he would be stranded in the inning.

Three more runs would be plated for Vanderbilt in the top of the sixth inning. Justin Alintoff would be on the mound for Florida and allowed a single to Ray to start things off. A batter later, Paul would hit a ground-rule double to right field to bring Ray home. Paul would finish 5-6 and drive in six runs.

Duvall would follow that up with a ground-rule double of his own to the same spot, bringing Paul home and making it 10-0. Austin Martin would make it 11-0 when he smacked a single into right field that brought Duvall home.

The Gators would strike for a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to avoid being shutout. Blake Reese would draw a walk and the bases would then be loaded after pinch-hitter Santino Miozzi and Young hit back-to-back singles.

McConnell would then draw a walk off Jake Eder and bring home Reese. Two batters later, Kendrick Calilao would walk and bring home Miozzi to make it 11-2.

Vanderbilt would re-extend their lead in the bottom half of the inning. After Scott walked and Ray was hit by a pitch, Paul came to the plate. Paul then ripped a bases-clearing triple to right field to make it 13-2. Two batters later, Julian Infante would bring Paul home with a fielder's’ choice and make it a 14-2 game.

Another run would be tact on in the bottom of the eighth when an error by Jud Fabian in center field allowed Ray to score on a Dominic Keegan fly-ball and make it 15-2 Vandy.

Other than Paul’s five base hits, Vanderbilt as a team had a huge night. The Commodores finished with 19 base hits and drew six walks. Scott finished the game 4-4 and reached base six times. Duvall went 3-3 and drove in four runs.

For the Gators, it was a rough night at the plate. Florida would draw 10 walks in the game, but repeatedly failed to turn the free base runners into runs. The Gators would also strike out nine times in the game.

Florida will look to avoid the sweep on Sunday. Tyler Dyson (3-0, 3.42 ERA) will get the start for the Gators. Vanderbilt has yet to announce their starter. First pitch is at 2pm.