Powered by multi-hit nights from three starters, the No. 1 Florida Gators (8-1) slugged their way past the UCF Knights (6-3) 9-5 on Tuesday night in Orlando. Florida pounded out 14 hits, one shy of a season-high in the first of a two-game set with the instate Knights.
Freshman Jonathan India recorded a career-high three hits and his first career home run. Sophomore outfielder Jeremy Vasquez joined India with a career night of his own, driving in three runs on one hit.
“We saw a lot of different looks. We saw a lefty that had some deception, a good changeup,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “Two guys that come out of the pen, [Campbell] Scholl and [Juan] Pimentel, that were 6-6, different looks. It was a lot of different things that were thrown at us tonight.”
Florida started the game strong offensively. Dalton Guthrie collected the first of his three hits with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a wild pitch. JJ Schwarz and Pete Alonso walked after a Buddy Reed strikeout to load the bases for Vasquez. The sophomore outfielder delivered a two-RBI double to right field to give Florida a lead.
Junior right-hander Dane Dunning drew the midweek start, just a day between when he was last called upon to close out a Sunday game against Miami. Dunning was a man on a mission in the early going, striking out two in the first while setting down the side in order. Dunning struck out two more in the second inning, putting the Knights down in order again.
Dunning retired the seventh batter he faced before giving up back-to-back singles. Brennan Bozeman doubled home a run and O’Sullivan came out to settle his pitcher down. It worked; Dunning picked up his fifth strikeout but then lost focus again with a walk. A two-run single tied the game before Dunning could get out of the jam.
“I thought Dane was fine tonight. I thought it was just the one inning where he kind of fell behind a couple of batters,” said O’Sullivan. “The guy had a really nice bunt. All in all I was really pleased with Dane Dunning. I thought it was a step in the right direction.”
The Gators would put up two more runs in the fourth, highlighted by JJ Schwarz’s RBI double and two more in the sixth when Buddy Reed doubled home Dalton Guthrie and Alonso doubled home Reed.
Juco transfer Nick Horvath picked up where Dunning left off, throwing a career-high 2.2 innings and Frank Rubio came on to close the last three innings.
“I think it was a really good game offensively. Not to repeat myself, but the different looks we saw were tough,” O’Sullivan said. “I’m pleased where we’re at but it wasn’t really clean. I think the eight and nine-hole guys got on seven of the eight times, we gotta do a better job there.”