The No. 2 Florida Gators (9-1) used a solid outing from sophomore A.J. Puk and a career night from Josh Tobias to rout visiting Stony Brook, 14-3.
Following a crisp 1-0 game that took just 2:30 on Friday night, Florida and Stony Brook got offensive on Saturday afternoon. Puk induced a ground ball to start the game but quickly surrendered a single and a walk to the next two batters he faced. On a chilly, wet afternoon in Gainesville, with winds blowing briskly out to right field Stony Brook sent Johnny Caputo to the plate. The junior got a hold of a fastball and gave it just enough to clear the wall in right field for a three run home run. Puk got the next two batters to strike out looking but the damage was done.
The Gators loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning but with two outs it didn’t look good. Freshman Mike Rivera —
who is proving to be quite the clutch hitter — smoked a ball through the right side to plate Buddy Reed and Richie Martin. Florida wasn’t done there; back-to-back-to-back two-out hits gave Florida a 5-3 lead in the first, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
“I don’t know if that kind of sparked something that I should have come out with in the first inning but I was just able to come out and get through my innings,” said Puk.
“The five runs they spotted me really helped me out. I really settled down [after that].”
Puk, who has had trouble shaking things off in the past, did just that against the Seawolves. Puk sat down the next 13 batters that he faced, including six strikeouts and was in total command on the mound.
“I was really pleased with A.J. After last weeks outing and then to give up three in the first here, then really buckle down over the next 5.2 innings and into the seventh. I thought he pitched really well,” said Kevin O’Sullivan. “I think today was probably a gut-check for him. It’s easy to hang your head and say ‘here we go again.’ He buckled down, I like the way he battled. We need him.”
Puk settled down and threw the car into cruise control but the Gator bats remained in fourth gear. The Gators pounded out 16 hits including Harrison Bader’s team-leading fifth home run of the season and Buddy Reed’s first career home run.
Senior Josh Tobias came into the game hitting just 2-of-13 on the year with two RBI. Tobias exploded for a career night, going 5-for-5 with three RBI.
“I think this is the first time I’ve gotten five hits in a game in my life,” Tobias said. “I remember my sophomore year, in our regional, I went 4-for-4. That’s the closest I’ve come to it.”
Sunday’s game time has been moved up one hour and the Gators will go for a series sweep over Stony Brook at noon.