Gators get big series opening win versus UGA

Freshman Harrison Bader (Bronxville, N.Y.) snapped a 2-2 tie with an RBI single in the ninth inning and Florida (29-25/14-14 SEC) added an insurance run on a balk to defeat Georgia (19-32/5-20 SEC), 4-2 on Thursday night at Foley Field. Bader was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI, sophomore right-hander Ryan Harris (Jupiter, Fla.) (5-3) worked out of a jam in the eighth inning to earn the win, while sophomore right-hander Johnny Magliozzi (East Milton, Mass.) registered the final three outs to notch his 12th save.

With the game deadlocked at two runs apiece entering the final frame, senior Vickash Ramjit (Miami, Fla.) (2-for-3, two runs) led off with an infield single off of UGA redshirt junior Patrick Boling (3-7) and sophomore Josh Tobias (Greensboro, N.C.) (2-for-3) followed with a base-hit down the right-field line that pushed Ramjit to third base. Bader moved the visitors in front with a single into left center that brought home Ramjit and a sacrifice bunt by freshman Brady Roberson (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) left UF with a pair of runners in scoring position. After senior Cody Dent (Boynton Beach, Fla.) flew out to left field, Boling was charged with a balk that scored Tobias for a 4-2 advantage.

Roberson had given the Gators a 1-0 lead in the second inning against senior left-hander Blake Dieterich with a sacrifice fly. Ramjit had led off by being hit by a pitch and advanced to third base on a one-out double down the right-field line by Bader. Roberson’s first career sacrifice fly into right center field broke the ice for the Orange and Blue.

The Gators loaded the bases with none out in the fourth inning, as sophomore Justin Shafer (Lake Wales, Fla.) beat out an infield single, Ramjit doubled into left center and Tobias was plunked. Bader brought home Shafer with a sacrifice fly into left field, his second of the season, and a grounder by Roberson gave the Gators a pair of runners in scoring position with two down. However, Dieterich kept the Bulldogs’ deficit at 2-0 with a strikeout of Dent.

After junior Jonathon Crawford (Okeechobee, Fla.) worked three scoreless frames, Georgia narrowed the gap to 2-1 in the fourth. The righty retired the first two batters of the inning before sophomore Hunter Cole singled into left field. After Cole moved into scoring position with a stolen base, Farmer reached on a fielding error by Dent and Cole went to third. A wild pitch enabled Cole to come across and Crawford responded by fanning sophomore Jared Walsh to end the stanza.

The Bulldogs used a two-out RBI single by senior Brett DeLoach (2-for-4) to knot the contest at 2-2 in the seventh. Farmer singled up the middle with one down and took second on a grounder by Walsh. DeLoach tied the game with a base-knock into left field and Jess Posey followed with a single through the right side of the infield to prompt a pitching change. Junior Daniel Gibson (Lutz. Fla.) came in for Crawford (6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 5 K, 0 BB) and a tremendous defensive play by Dent on a ball hit by freshman Daniel Nichols kept the contest tied.

Redshirt freshman DJ Smith began the Bulldogs’ eighth with a pinch-hit walk and was sacrificed to second on a bunt by sophomore Nelson Ward. Harris replaced Gibson (0.2 IP) and a grounder by Curt Powell advanced Smith to third base before Harris had Cole ground out to Ramjit unassisted.

 Courtesy of UF Communications