Gators blow past Hurricanes

UF second baseman Josh Adams had a monster night from the bottom of the lineup Friday night, while starting pitcher Brian “I don’t need no DH” Johnson (3-0, 0.00 ERA) pitched five incredible innings as the Gators downed the Miami Hurricanes 8-3.

Johnson allowed only three hits and one walk in his five innings, and his nine strikeouts tied a career high.  He extended his scoreless-inning streak to 17, but the five innings required 75 pitches.

“It feels good (to get strikeouts),” Johnson said.  “But then your pitch count seems to run up a lot faster.  I felt really good today. I threw my slider for out pitches and threw my fastball inside.  I just (went) about my business and didn’t try to change things up.  When you’re going good, stay at an even plane and when things go bad and you don’t do well, don’t get too low.  When you do well, don’t get too high.”

The Gator bullpen held the Hurricanes (4-5) scoreless until the eighth inning, when Daniel Gibson gave up four hits to the only four batters he faced, allowing three runs.  Greg Larson cleaned up the mess for the Gators (8-1) afterward, downing the final six batters in order.

On the offensive end of things, Johnson went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.  One of the best offensive performances of the night was turned in by second baseman Josh Adams.  Batting out of the ninth spot in the order, Adams was 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and a run scored.

“I kind of made some adjustments during (batting practice) yesterday,” Adams said.  “I’m just keeping my front shoulder in and driving the ball the other way.  It’s a better approach all around.  I have no idea (why I was batting ninth). 

Our lineup is strong one through nine, so it doesn’t really matter where I hit.”

“We’ve got some guys who swing the bat good,” Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said.  “(Adams) had a great night and he swung the bat good.  (Placing him in the ninth spot) was not a motivational tactic at all, we just tried to toy with the lineup and he had a great night.”

Also having a great offensive night was Gator third baseman Austin Maddox.  Though he only batted 2-for-5, one of his two hits was a two-run shot that landed among the Bleacher Creatures.  The homer was his first of the season.

“It felt good,” Maddox said of his home run.  “It was a cutter, in.  I’ve been having a lot of good (at-bats) all year.  The batting average isn’t good, but I’ve had a lot of good AB’s.  I’m just going to keep swinging it and they’re going to fall.  I just take it one at-bat at a time.  I’ve been squirting a lot of balls up on people but that’s just baseball.  I don’t try and put much pressure on myself.  You can’t really do that or you’re not going to succeed in this game because it’s a game of failure.  You fail way more times than you succeed.”

Gator bats absolutely destroyed Miami starting pitcher Bryan Radziewski (1-1, 3.77 ERA).  He threw only three and one third innings and gave up all eight Gator runs of the evening on nine hits.  He walked four and struck out four. 

The Hurricane bullpen had a much better outing.  Sam Abrams relieved Radziewski, throwing three and two thirds innings and allowing just two runs.  Abrams struck out two and walked one.  A.J. Salcines helped mop up in the eighth, allowing just one hit and striking out two.

Attendance for Friday night’s game at McKethan Stadium was 4,587. The next game of the series will take place Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. at McKethan Stadium, where Florida righty Hudson Randall (1-0, 1.64) will pitch against Miami right-hander E.J. Encinosa (0-1, 6.00) in a battle of Sunshine State rivals.