It was only a matter of time. After 15 home runs last season, Preston Tucker waited until the 15th game of this season for his first. The preseason All-American’s first ball to leave the yard this year — a two-run blast in the seventh — gave Florida the breathing room it needed in a 9-3 victory over Army Monday night at McKethan Stadium.
Tucker knew that it was only a matter of time before he cranked one out of the park so he stayed patient. Now he’s hoping the power floodgates will open.
“The first one is always going to be the hardest,” Tucker said. “Your swings feel a lot looser once you hit the first one. You’re not trying as hard.”
What made the home run more impressive was it came against a left-handed pitcher and on an off-speed pitch. Tucker waited patiently for the right pitch in the right zone before depositing it well beyond the 365-foot sign on the left-center field fence. Tucker drove the ball because he kept his front shoulder in rather than trying to pull the ball as he has done several times in the first 14 games.
“He threw me a 2-0 curve ball, and I felt like if I got in another offensive count, he would throw me another curve ball,” Tucker said. “He left it up and I put a good swing on it.”
Tied at 2-2 heading into the fifth, the Gators scored three runs to open things up a bit. Since it was twilight, the sky was a bright blue color and it messed with the Army fielders, benefiting Florida with some runs they may not have gotten otherwise.
It started with a one-out double from Mike Zunino on a fly ball to shallow center field that Army’s Clayton Mosley didn’t see until it was too late to catch. After Matt den Dekker walked, Daniel Pigott got second life after Army first baseman Kevin McKague dropped a fly ball in foul territory.
Pigott hit the next pitch in the air to left field which turned into a double when Ben Koenigsfeld couldn’t find the ball, driving home Zunino and moving den Dekker to third. After Tucker popped out to shortstop, Austin Maddox singled to right field to score two runs, adding to his team-high total of 20 RBI and increasing Florida’s lead to 5-2.
Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan pointed out after the game that the problems Army experienced finding the ball in the sky at twilight is something the Gators have to battle through in practice every day.
“We’ve got the advantage because we play at home a lot,” O’Sullivan said. “We’ve seen that a lot and talked a lot amongst our time that when it does get twilight, the infielders have to point and yell to help the outfielders out. We’ve done that in intra-squads, to be honest with you.”
The Gators added an unearned run in the sixth on a Bryson Smith single to drive home Nolan Fontana and then put the game away in the seventh when Tucker launched his first home of the season with Daniel Pigott on base via a leadoff double. Tucker grounded out to drive home an insurance run in the eighth.
den Dekker got the Gators on the board in the first inning with a leadoff home run to right-center field. It was the first leadoff home run for the Gators since Avery Barnes did it on April 25 last season against South Carolina.
“Scoring in the bottom of the first was good for our offense, getting on the board early,” O’Sullivan said.
Anthony DeSclafani gave the Gators 5-2/3 innings of work, allowing six hits and two runs, while striking out three. His control was good early, but it faded as the game went on. Even though he didn’t allow a walk, he missed over the plate to add the high hit total for Army.
“He has thrown strikes and pitched ahead,” O’Sullivan said. “Our defense plays good behind him, because he may only have one walk on the year. He has been throwing the ball good and he’s around the plate. We’re playing really good defense.”
Jeff Barfield closed the game, going the final 3-1/3 innings. He allowed three hits, one run and recorded one strikeout.
The senior right-hander’s effectiveness allowed the Gators to use only two pitchers on the night before they take on the No. 2-ranked Florida State Seminoles. The rest of the bullpen should be available to pitch Tuesday night.
“Jeff came in and kept our bullpen in tact,” O’Sullivan said. “It kept our bullpen from having to use a lot of guys, so we can go in there tomorrow night with a deeper pen.”
Coming in, the plan was to use whatever pitchers necessary to win this game. However, Barfield being on-point made the decision that much easier.
“We were going to do anything and everything to win this game tonight and then worry about tomorrow,” O’Sullivan said. “I didn’t want our team going into tomorrow night’s game with back-to-back losses. Psychologically, I thought it would be in our best interest to do whatever we needed to win tonight and worry about Tuesday when it came.”
Tuesday night will give the Gators a chance to even the season series with Florida State after losing the first game 10-5 two weeks ago in Tampa. The Seminoles used a seven-run first inning to cruise to victory.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Pigott said. “It’s going to be a good atmosphere for us. When we were down there in Tampa, it felt like a Florida State game. It felt like we were in Tallahassee. It’ll be nice to be here in our own atmosphere and hopefully get a [win].”
Freshman right-hander Hudson Randall (2-0, 2.51) will get the start against the Seminoles Tuesday night. He will be opposed by Florida State right-hander Robert Benincasa (1-0, 1.64), who will make his third start of the season after facing North Florida and Hofstra earlier this year.
“We obviously didn’t play well the first time,” O’Sullivan said. “They’re a very good club. It’s going to be a challenge, but we think we’re a good club too. We’re looking to hopefully even the series. They got us the first time, and it’s going to be a good game. The weather is going to be great and there should be a good crowd out here.”