Having more errors than hits heading into the bottom of the ninth is no recipe for success. The Gators dropped the series to No.6 Auburn, losing Game 3, 8–5, after committing four errors and managing just five hits.
With the game tied at three entering the ninth, Auburn plated five runs on four hits and two errors. Florida third baseman Ethan Surowiec committed three errors in Game 3, matching his season total, which led to just two earned runs out of the eight allowed by Florida’s pitching staff.
“That’s not gonna help you win many games,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “They out-competed us, honestly.”
Florida lost a series in which it allowed just seven earned runs all weekend, including four in Games 2 and 3 combined, both of which it lost.
The Gators scored five runs in the series finale, but it was almost solely because of senior left fielder Blake Cyr, who drove in all five runs on two home runs. Cyr hit four home runs in the series and totaled nine RBI. This came after a three-hit performance against Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday. Expect Cyr to move into the four hole.
Outside of Cyr, who recorded 40% of Florida’s hits in the contest, the Gators couldn’t find any rhythm at the plate, going hitless from the fourth through the eighth inning.
Auburn has an elite pitching staff, and a low-scoring series was expected, but the Gators have to find a way to generate more momentum at the plate. Florida had the bullpen advantage entering the contest, but Auburn starter Alex Petrovic went seven innings, erasing any edge Florida had.
Outlook on the season
As frustrating and wild as this season has been, Florida is still in a solid position with a 28–13 (10–8 SEC) record. The Gators likely need just five wins in its remaining four weekend series to host a regional in Gainesville.
The Gators are who they are at this point: a championship-caliber pitching staff, especially when Jackson Barberi returns from injury, but a team that is below average at the plate and in the field, at least by SEC standards.
Florida has tried four different players at third base this season and has struggled to find the right balance between solid defense and consistent hitting at the position. The same has been true at first base.
The Gators’ pitching staff is capable of carrying this team to Omaha, but that will likely require improvements in both the field and at the plate. Florida’s lack of production at the plate continues to put added stress on the Gators’ bullpen.
Florida is set to host Jacksonville on Tuesday before a weekend home series against No.10 Texas A&M.