An 80-pitch, 45 minute first inning filled with a leadoff home run, five runs and six hits and an error was an odd way to start the night. At the end of the day the No. 2 Florida Gators (26-3, 6-2 SEC) bested No. 1 Texas A&M (22-5, 4-5 SEC), 7-2, taking the series.
“Wait, 80 pitches? I didn’t even know it was that bad,” Jeremy Vasquez said when told just how long that first frame was. “Shoot, I didn’t know it was that bad. I just knew that in the fourth inning it felt like it was the eighth inning already.”
Alex Faedo, normally the Sunday starter, had his start bumped up a day so A.J. Puk could throw an extra bullpen during the week. Faedo’s first Saturday start was less than love at first sight. Texas A&M leadoff hitter J.B. Moss turned on a 2-2 fastball, launching it just over the blue padding in left field. The hit was originally ruled a double, but after a review of the play it was correctly ruled a home run.
Faedo earned a fly out before Boomer White singled and advanced to second on a throwing error. White scored two batters later on a wild pitch. In total, Faedo needed 35 pitches to get himself out of the first inning.
Dalton Guthrie led Florida’s half of the inning off with a single and moved over to third after a groundout and fly out from Buddy Reed and JJ Schwarz. Pete Alonso collected the first of his four hits on the night and first of three RBI with a single through the left side, plating Guthrie. Deacon Liput walked and Mike Rivera drove in both Alonso and Liput with a double to give Florida a 3-2 lead.
That’s all that Faedo would need. The sophomore bore down on the Aggie lineup, setting the side down in order in the second before his offense added another run, thanks to another Alonso RBI single, in the second.
“That’s about as good a performance, pitching-wise, that I think I can remember, with everything that was thrown at him in the first inning,” Kevin O’Sullivan said. “It was a difficult first inning. Not very often is he going to start the game with a home run.”
Faedo went on to throw 6.0 inning, giving two runs, one earned and struck out seven batters, which brings his season strikeout total to 60 — tied for the national lead.
The Gators added to the lead when Pete Alonso launched his sixth home run of the year and second in as many days over the wall in left field. Jeremy Vasquez drove home Mike Rivera with a double two batters later.
Dane Dunning relieved Faedo in the seventh inning, and finished the game off striking out four.
The Florida Gators have won 26 consecutive home games — a school record — and have clinched the series over the No. 1 Aggies.
Florida will send A.J. Puk to the mound tomorrow at 2 p.m. and Texas A&M will counter with RHP Jace Vines. ESPNU will broadcast the game.