NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Florida Gators have been walking a tightrope without a net this baseball season. Coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s No. 19 Gators have managed to overcome questions about their starting rotation with yeoman work from their bullpen.
Sunday, however, the Gators lost their balance, the bullpen imploded (with no help from the defense, which had four errors, three by shortstop Josh Adams) and Vanderbilt scored 14 unanswered runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to capture a 16-9 victory that gave the Commodores their second straight win in the three-game Southeastern Conference series that concluded at Hawkins Field.
The sloppiness spoiled a big day at the plate by Florida freshman first baseman Preston Tucker (Tampa Plant), who went 3-for-4 with a career-high 5 RBI with two home runs, a solo shot in the second and a three-run blast in the sixth. Teammate Daniel Pigott also had three hits, while Matt den Dekker and Teddy Foster each had two in Florida’s 13-hit attack.
Senior left-hander Stephen Locke threw five good innings for the Gators (19-11, 7-5 SEC East) and left with a 5-2 lead after throwing 88 pitches, allowing five hits, two runs (one earned) and striking out six.
But the bullpen couldn’t hold Florida’s lead, which swelled to 9-2 after the top of the sixth inning. Senior right-hander Patrick Keating, who was Florida’s Friday night starter earlier this season but has struggled most of the season, was the first of six relievers who surrendered the 14 runs, the last seven of which were unearned.
Vanderbilt (19-12, 5-7 SEC East) scored five runs in the seventh and seven (all unearned on just two hits because of two Florida errors) in the eighth to make a winner out of Sonny Gray (2-0), the last of six pitchers used by the Commodores. Gray pitched the final two innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three. Vanderbilt outhit Florida 15-13 but Vandy’s pitchers struck out nine, including five Gators over the final 3.2 innings.
With the score tied at 9-9 in the bottom of the eighth, Florida reliever Billy Bullock (0-2) started by striking out Vandy’s Riley Reynolds. Steven Liddle followed with a single up the middle and Bullock then walked Curt Casali. Andrew Giobbi followed with a grounder to shortstop Adams, who bobbled the ball, allowing Liddle to score.
A passed ball by catcher Hampton Tignor allowed Casali and Giobbi to move up and Bullock walked Alex McClure to load the bases. O’Sullivan replaced Bullock with Greg Larson, who was touched for a sacrifice fly by freshman Jason Esposito for an 11-9 lead.
Another walk to Joe Loftus loaded the bases and brought in freshman Alex Panteliodis. Adams booted senior Jonathan White’s grounder, his third error of the game, that enabled Vanderbilt to score two more runs and junior Brian Harris belted a three-run homer add the final nail to Florida’s coffin with authority.
Florida took a 2-0 lead in the second inning off Vandy starter Taylor Hill. Freshman Preston Tucker homered to right. Senior Brandon McArthur followed with a double and singles by senior Teddy Foster and junior Matt den Dekker scored McArthur.
Adams’ first error of the game allowed leadoff hitter Giobbi, who had doubled, to score off Locke, who had gotten two outs after the hit and induced the grounder to his shortstop. Back-to-back doubles by Liddle and Casali in the third inning made it 2-2.
It stayed that way until Florida scored three times in the fifth and four times in the sixth for a 9-2 lead.
Daniel Pigott singled to lead off the fifth and Avery Barnes walked. After Piggott was thrown out at third base on Adams’ sacrifice bunt attempt, but Tucker singled to right off reliever Sean Bierman to score Barnes. Adams moved to third and Tucker to second on the throw to the plate that tried to get Barnes. Munroe then was walked intentionally to load the bases.
McArthur’s sacrifice fly brought in Adams and Foster’s two-out single plated Tucker for a 5-2 Florida lead.
Florida turned four hits in the sixth into four runs, three of them scoring on Tucker’s homer. Matt den Dekker had a double, Daniel Pigott a bunt single and Adams’ an RBI single before Tucker’s bomb gave Florida what seemed to be an insurmountable lead.
But someone forgot to tell the Florida bullpen.
Riley Reynolds and Casali led Vandy’s 15-hit attack with three hits each. Harris and Casali each had three RBI for the Commodores.
Florida returns home to play Bethune-Cookman (15-15) Tuesday and UCF (10-21) Wednesday at McKethan Stadium. Both games start at 6:30 p.m.