LEXINGTON, Ky. – A strong relief performance by Greg Larson and clutch hitting by fellow sophomore Preston Tucker and freshman Austin Maddox helped No. 9 Florida to a 6-3 victory over Kentucky Saturday evening at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
The triumph by the Gators (25-9 overall, 10-4 SEC East) assured them of the series victory following Friday’s rain-delayed 10-8 triumph. It was Florida’s first series victory at Cliff Hagan Stadium since 2004. Kentucky fell to 4-10 in the SEC East and 21-14 overall. The teams play the series finale Sunday afternoon at 1.
The 6-foot-8 right-handed Larson (2-1) threw 3.2 innings of scoreless and hitless relief of freshman right-hander Hudson Randall. After Kentucky loaded the bases on Randall with a leadoff double, hit batter and walk, Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan brought in Larson, who got a double play that drove in one run and another groundout to end the inning.
Larson, who walked two and struck out three, was followed by Nick Maronde, Jeff Barfield and finally Kevin Chapman. After Randall allowed the leadoff double in the fourth, Kentucky did not get a hit until there were two outs in the eighth inning. The Wildcats stranded 14 runners on base.
Tucker, the SEC Freshman of the Year last season, drove in three runs, two on his fifth home run of the year in the ninth inning that gave Florida a 6-2 lead. Florida also got solo home runs from freshmen Mike Zunino (his third of the season) and Austin Maddox (his 11th). Maddox went 3-for-5 – his 17th multi-hit game of the season – and Zunino went 2-for-4 as Florida outhit Kentucky 10-6.
The Gators took a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI single by senior Matt den Dekker off freshman southpaw Taylor Rogers (4-4). Maddox kept his hitting streak alive at seven games with his team-leading 12th double of the season to start things and he moved to third on a bunt by Jonathan Pigott before den Dekker delivered him home.
Randall had control problems in his three-plus innings and it was his wildness in the second inning that allowed Kentucky to tie the game with a hit batter and three straight walks.
Zunino’s leadoff homer to left center gave Florida a 2-1 lead in the top of the third and Maddox opened the fourth inning with his 11th home run to give the Gators a 3-1 lead. Seven of those home runs have come in conference play and Maddox also leads the team in batting (.370) and RBI (41).
After Kentucky cut the Florida lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth, it remained that way until the seventh when freshman Nolan Fontana opened the inning with a double down the right-field line. Daniel Pigott’s bunt moved Fontana to third and Tucker followed with a sacrifice fly to right that made it 4-2.
Tucker provided Florida some breathing room with his two-out, two-run homer in the ninth that scored Daniel Pigott, who had beat out a bunt. The Wildcats’ last run came on Andy Burns’ solo home run off Chapman in the bottom of the ninth inning.