Faedo shines as Florida Gators beat Miami

The No. 2 Florida Gators (4-1) won 1-0 over No. 21 Miami in a pitcher’s duel behind a spectacular performance from junior right hander Alex Faedo.

It was head coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s 400th career win, a incredible feat considering he has only been at Florida for nine seasons.

A top MLB draft prospect, Faedo cruised for much of the night, throwing six 1-2-3 innings where he faced the minimum.

“I felt good out there. Sully talked to me a lot about working down more and not trying to do too much and I just tried to simplify the game a little bit more,” Faedo said.

He finished the night with 8.2 innings pitched, eight strikeouts, only two hits and one walk. He threw 119 pitches.

Working in the low 90s all night his wipeout slider, that was breaking off the plate, all night was working well for him.

It wasn’t all without drama.

Faedo was at 98 pitches before going back out in the ninth inning, and had two outs before an error by shortstop Dalton Guthrie on a routine play.

After a foul ball cleared the fence in right field, Faedo surrendered his only walk of the night, and forced O’Sullivan to go to the bullpen.

Frank Rubio came in and got the save in only four pitches on a strikeout, after giving up two hits in the 9th to JU in the loss Tuesday night.

“I was glad Frank got to close out the ninth, that’s a great confidence booster for him,” Said Faedo.

For Faedo it was more of the same against Miami. He threw 6.1 scoreless with 12 strikeouts against the Canes last year in Coral Gables.

“It’s just a good rivalry game,” Faedo said about the Hurricanes, “and it amps me up to pitch against those guys”

The Gators offense did not look so stellar Friday night, leaving 10 stranded on base.

Jonathan India had the lone RBI of the game in the third inning, on a sharply hit ball that Edgar Michelangeli (or anyone else) couldn’t handle, scoring Dalton Guthrie.

Florida could not push any other runs across the plate, even with plenty of opportunity.

“We chased out of the zone… It just takes a while to get into a rhythm. Tomorrow is a new day and I believe tomorrow we are going to get the bats going,” Said O’Sullivan on his offenses approach tonight.

They didn’t need them with Faedo back on his ‘A’ game.

“He just pitched great, I did expect him to be better,” said O’Sullivan on his ace pitcher, after a not so great first outing last week.

The Gators will look to take the series in game two tomorrow again at 6:30 at McKethan Stadium.

RHP Brady Singer (1-0, 1.80 ERA) will start for the Gators, and LHP Jeb Bargfeldt Jr. (1-0 1.59 ERA) will go for the Canes.

Matt graduated from high school from Providence School in Jacksonville, Florida where he won a State Championship in baseball. After two years of playing college baseball at Valdosta State University, he jumped at the chance to transfer and be accepted to his lifelong dream school, at the University of Florida where he is currently a Junior Business major. He is very passionate about all Gator sports with Football, Baseball and Basketball topping the list. Currently he serves as a practice player squad member for the Women's basketball team at UF. Favorite all time Gator is Danny Wuerffel.