Gator Country

Florida junior shortstop throws to first base during the Gators' 8-2 win against Miami in the Gainesville NCAA Regional on Saturday at McKethan Stadium / Gator Country photo by Casey Brooke Lawson

Behind 7.1 strong innings from senior left-hander Stephen Locke and a four-run third inning, top-seeded Florida (41-20) downed second-seeded Miami (Fla.) (37-21), 8-2, in a winner’s bracket game at the NCAA Gainesville Regional on Saturday night at McKethan Stadium. Locke (5-2) held the Hurricanes to six singles and two runs (zero earned), with three strikeouts and a walk. The southpaw was supported by a balanced offense that totaled 10 hits, three doubles and a solo homer by junior Jonathan Pigott, who was 2-for-5 and scored twice.

The Hurricanes will meet third-seeded Jacksonville (37-21) in an elimination game tomorrow at 1 p.m., with the survivor needing to defeat the Gators twice to advance to next weekend’s NCAA Super Regional. Florida will face tomorrow afternoon’s winner at 6:30 p.m.

With his RBI single in the third, Preston Tucker tied Ryan Shealy’s 2002 mark of 80 RBI for most RBI in a single season in school history. During his five-game postseason tear this season, Tucker is 9-for-20 (.450) with nine RBI, five runs, two home runs and two doubles.

In his 11 starts at McKethan Stadium since the start of the 2008 season, Locke is 8-0 with a 2.25 ERA, allowing just 17 earned runs in 68.0 innings pitched.

Photo Gallery: UF baseball vs. Miami, NCAA Regionals, 5/30/09

DIRECTORY OF GATOR COUNTRY PHOTO GALLERIES

About the author

Casey Brooke Lawson

Casey Brooke Lawson earned a B.S. in journalism from the University of Florida in December 2008. Lawson was born in Sarasota, Fla., but now still resides in Gainesville, Fla. Lawson picked up her first camera before she could walk, and now, 24 years later, she has made a career of her first love. She has been working as a photojournalist for eight years. She began at her high school, Sarasota High School, interned with the Gainesville Sun, Sarasota Herald Tribune, The Independent Florida Alligator and Sports Illustrated. Now, Lawson is a regularly contributing photojournalist for Gator Country. Trained in sports photography by Gator Country's own Tim Casey, sports photojournalism has become one of Lawson's favorite parts of her job.

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