The Florida Gators (8-2) dropped their second game of the season after falling 10-8 to Jacksonville on Wednesday night.
Free passes have been the Gators’ Achillies heel this season, which proved to be the case once again vs. the Dolphins.
Florida pitching allowed 11 walks and three hit batters across nine innings, walking home one run in the third inning and two in the sixth. That alone is the difference in the two-run game.
True freshman Yoel Tejeda Jr. got the start for coach Sullivan’s squad, his second of the season. Tejeda completed 2.2 innings, allowing one run, one hit, four walks, and one HBP while striking out four batters. There’s no doubt that Tejeda has the stuff of a dominant division one pitcher, but his five free passes is not the way to win over the heart of coach Sullivan.
Blake Purnell took over for Tejeda in the third inning, getting out of a bases-loaded jam with a fly-out to right field.
The next inning wasn’t so easy for Purnell, who walked and hit a batter that both came around to score.
Fisher Jameson took over for Purnell and gave up four runs in his lone inning pitched. Jameson was handed the loss in the contest and saw his ERA skyrocket to 19.64 on the season.
Abner made his second appearance against Jacksonville during this two-game midweek set, but this one was a disaster. The left-hander made just one out, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks. Abner has swing and miss potential as all seven Dolphins he retired this week was via the strikeout. Command has been the issue for Abner since he arrived in Gainesville; if he can figure it out, he may just be a valuable arm for the Gators’ bullpen this season.
Anthony Ursitti appeared and faced just two batters, retiring both including one strikeout.
Freshman Chris Arroyo was another of Florida’s eight arms to throw on Wednesday night. Arroyo completed one inning, allowing one run on one hit and one walk while striking out two.
Community College transfer Clete Hartzog made his Gators debut, striking out the side in order in the eighth. It will be interesting to see if Hartzog earned himself a chance at innings on the weekend.
Florida’s closer, Brandon Neely, got one inning of work ahead of the Gators’ upcoming weekend series with Miami. He allowed no runs on no hits but walked and hit a batter.
At the plate, the Gators outhit the Dolphins 10-8 in the contest.
The Nations home run leader, Jac Caglianone, blasted his 8th home run of the season in the first inning, kicking things off for Florida.
Josh Rivera brought the Gators within four, launching a solo homer off the batter’s eye in center field in the bottom of the seventh. The long ball marks Rivera’s fourth home run of the season.
Florida tried to rally in the late innings of the ballgame after a two-RBI single off the bat of Cade Kurland, but the Gators came up just short.