As Buddy Munroe headed for first base, his pumping fist said it all. This was a moment he wanted and the 25th-ranked Florida Gators desperately needed, particularly after blowing a two-run lead in the top of the ninth inning to 17th-ranked Florida State. Munroe’s line drive single to left field was the perfect ending to a 5-4 win over the archrival Seminoles before a crowd of 3,369 at McKethan Stadium.
“I was telling some of my teammates that I live for that opportunity,” Munroe said. “I was really looking forward to it coming down to me and I delivered.”
The game-winning rally began on a Matt den Dekker single to left field and a wild pitch. Brandon McArthur’s job was to bunt den Dekker to third but instead of a bunt, he took the first pitch.
“I’m not going to lie, I did miss a sign that first pitch,” McArthur said with a chuckle of relief. “Sully (Coach Kevin O’Sullivan) looked pretty heated at me so I decided to get it right the next time. I wasn’t able to [get the bunt down] against Florida Atlantic. I was back in the situation and I wanted to get it done.”
McArthur might have blown it on the first try, but the second time was a charm. His bunt down the third base line eliminated any chance of a play at third, forcing pitcher Jimmy Marshall to field the ball. His only play was to first, but McArthur was safe by a step. After a strikeout, Clayton Pisani was walked intentionally to load the bases, bringing Munroe to the plate for his game-winning hit.
Munroe is a glue guy for the Gators, whether he’s catching, in the dugout or in the locker room.
“He gives us a little bounce behind the plate,” O’Sullivan said. “In high school, I loved watching him behind the plate because he has energy. He has those leadership qualities. He stuck his nose in there for that last hit. He makes you feel good when he’s behind the plate because he’s got those leadership qualities that are hard to find.”
The game-winner was redemption for the Gators after Florida State rallied in the ninth.
Trailing 4-2, the Seminoles got a pair of singles and a ground rule double by Tommy Oravetz to cut Florida’s lead to one and then Jason Stidham hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 4-4.
When Tyler Holt slid into home to score the typing run, he popped up and clapped his hands in the face of Munroe.
“It’s just a little rivalry,” Munroe said with a smirk, but he is the one that got the last laugh.
Lost in the ninth inning dramatics was a quality pitching performance from the Florida staff. Freshman Alex Panteliodis rebounded from a bad start this past weekend, 4.1 innings of five-hit shutout ball. He was relieved by Billy Bullock who turned in 1.2 innings of two-hit baseball. Freshman Greg Larson threw one shutout inning to lower his ERA to 1.86. Tony Davis pitched well to get out of a jam in his stint.
The only negative in the bullpen was senior Patrick Keating allowing three hits to start the ninth inning, two of which scored. He didn’t record an out.
“Bullock did a heck of a job,” O’Sullivan said. “Larson got a double play ball. We faced a pretty good team. There were a lot of positives. Tony Davis threw the ball really well with his back against the wall. I don’t want anything negative to creep into their minds. It’s a win. I’m not going to chew them out for giving up runs in the ninth, I’m going to applaud them for battling and not giving up the fifth run and keeping their chins up. It was a win against a really good team.”
Florida broke out on top 1-0 in the third inning when Josh Adams walked, moved to second on a sacrifice and came home to score on a single by McArthur. FSU rallied for two in the top of the sixth off reliever Clint Franklin but the Gators came back with a tying run in their half of the inning when Riley Cooper walked, stole second and scored on a Munroe single.
The Gators took a 4-2 lead in the seventh inning, scoring two runs without the benefit of a base hit. A pair of walks and a pair of FSU errors gave the Gators some breathing room.
The win improved the Gators to 10-7 on the season and broke a three-game losing streak. The Gators were swept last weekend at Arkansas so O’Sullivan hopes the win over FSU will be just what the Gators need to get going.
“Everybody has been frustrated,” O’Sullivan said. “There wasn’t a guy on that plane home from Arkansas who wasn’t frustrated. It’s a test for everyone. I’m not used to losing three games on a weekend. We’re going to ban together. Hopefully this will build a good foundation for this team. I was really proud of the way we responded tonight. Hopefully this will be a jump start to move the leaders to the forefront.”
The Gators make the trip south to Orlando Wednesday night to play at the University of Central Florida. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30. Freshman Anthony DeSclafani is scheduled to start on the mound for the Gators.