No. 3 Florida (28-6, 9-3 SEC) used a four-run eighth inning to come from behind and clinch the season series over Florida State with a 5-3 victory at Condron Family Ballpark on Tuesday night.
Ty Evans’ game winning go ahead three-run blast was the highlight of the night for the Gators.
“Not an easy night to hit because of the wind, but really happy for Ty to have the opportunity to come up with the big three-run home,” Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan said postgame.
On a night where Florida’s bats mustered just five hits and five runs, the Gators’ pitching staff dominated, allowing two earned runs on five hits throughout the contest.
“I think the efficiency that Ryan Slater had,” Kevin O’Sullivan said on the storylines in the game. I think 62 pitches over six. Kind of gets lost in the shuffle there a little bit is Cade Fisher. He keeps the game right there, 22 pitches over two and obviously, gives Neely a chance to close it out.”
Florida’s closer Brandon Neely improved to a perfect 7-for-7 in save chances, which leads the SEC.
“His command, his fastball command, was about as good as it has been all year long,” O’Sullivan said. “You guys saw him pitch last year, he was 88-92 and now he’s pitching at 94-95. He’s just a different guy. His mound presence is really, really good. He was outstanding tonight, obviously.”
Neely struck out all three batters he faced while finding the strike zone on 12 of his 16 pitches.
The Gators’ Achilles heel this season has been their command, but it wasn’t tonight. Florida pitchers walked zero batters against FSU after walking 18 their time out (Tennessee, Saturday).
“Baseball is a funny game,” O’Sullivan said. “It can flip just like that. 48 hours ago, we walked 18 in a game and tonight we walked none. We knew once the game got away from us on Saturday that Ryan was going to be our best option to pitch tonight.”
Florida is 34-19 in the series under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan including 18-3 at home. The Gators have won 21 of the last 25 meetings against the Seminoles and have not lost a regular season series to FSU since 2015.
With the Gators winning each of the first two games of the series, Florida and Florida State will face off one last time on Tuesday, May 2 in Jacksonville.