Stephen Locke doesn’t like to wait around. Whether it’s sitting around during the day of a night game or the way he goes about getting hitters out once the game begins, Florida’s senior left-hander doesn’t like to waste time.
Saturday was no different. Once he got a chance to pitch to Miami Saturday night after a 30-minute delay, Locke worked quickly and effectively, going 7.1 innings, allowing six hits and two unearned runs in leading Florida to an 8-2 victory over the Hurricanes at McKethan Stadium and within one victory of moving into the Super Regional round.
“I always tell people when I’m starting a night game, I wake up in the morning anxious to get the game going,” Locke said. “Not nervous, I just wish I didn’t have to wait all day. I’m just anxious to get out there and get it going.”
The game was pushed back an extra 30 minutes because of an NCAA rule that makes it mandatory there be two hours and 15 minutes between games during a regional. The Jacksonville-Bethune Cookman game ran over the expected time, so the Florida game was delayed until 7 p.m.
Once it actually did start, Locke (5-2) wasted no time. He got ahead of the Hurricanes’ batters and stayed ahead until he put them away. The senior only walked one batter, and that was the last batter he faced in the eighth inning.
Coach Kevin O’Sullivan then came out to get his ace and turned the game over to his bullpen. Nick Maronde and Billy Bullock got five straight outs, four of them with strikeouts.
“I think the key was getting ahead of a lot of those hitters and throwing a lot of off-speed pitches, even in fastball counts,” Locke said.
The only time Locke looked rattled came in the third inning. He hit Ted Blackman with a pitch and Nathan Melendres was safe at first when Florida first baseman Preston Tucker dropped the ball during a sacrifice bunt attempt. With runners on first and second, Scott Lawson dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners up. A sacrifice fly by Ryan Jackson and infield single by Jason Hagerty gave Miami an early 2-0 lead.
Coming home to McKethan Stadium was the perfect recipe for Locke. In his last 11 starts at McKethan Stadium, he is 8-0 with a 2.25 ERA, allowing only 17 earned runs in 68 innings.
It was also the first postseason win for the senior, who made his postseason debut in 2005 on the Gators’ way to the College World Series’ championship series in Omaha, Neb.
“It’s good to get it under your belt,” Locke said. “Obviously with the staff we had back then, those were the guys pulling the weight.”
Miami left-hander Chris Hernandez (7-5) started the third inning by walking Teddy Foster and Mike Mooney, the two hitters at the bottom of the lineup for the Gators. Avery Barnes laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Hernandez threw to third base, but Foster beat the throw to load the bases.
Jonathan Pigott reached on an infield single, scoring Foster and keeping the bases loaded. Tucker singled to right field, scoring Mooney and keeping the bases loaded. Josh Adams then grounded into a double play, scoring Barnes and leaving Pigott at third. Matt den Dekker followed with a perfect drag bunt past the pitcher to the second baseman, scoring Pigott and giving the Gators a 4-2 lead after three innings.
“That was huge,” O’Sullivan said. “It’s all about momentum. We answered back well, but we extended the lead really, really well tonight against a good team.”
The RBI single by Tucker tied the school record for RBI in a season of 80, set in 2002 by Ryan Shealy.
“Tying it was great, but the guys hitting in front of me have the record just as much as I do,” Tucker said. “They all get on-base for me … Avery, Pigott and Mooney.”
The Gators tacked on with two runs in the sixth inning with a Brandon McArthur RBI double, followed by an RBI single by Foster two batters later, pushing the lead to 6-2.
Jonathan Pigott’s solo home run to lead off the seventh inning moved the lead to 7-2, and Barnes’ two-out infield single made the lead 8-2.
Miami and Jacksonville, which met in the regional opener won by the Hurricanes 9-4, will now play Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in an elimination game. Jacksonville eliminated Bethune-Cookman, 8-7, in Saturday’s opening game. Miami will start freshman left-hander Iden Nazario (6-4, 6.57 ERA).
The Gators will take on the winner of that game at 6:30 p.m. Sunday night. They haven’t announced a starting pitcher but freshman left-hander Alex Panteliodis (6-5, 3.97 ERA) figures to get the start. Florida has two chances (an if-necessary game on Monday at 6:30 p.m. if it loses Sunday) to advance and host the Super Regional next weekend.
NCAA DIVISION I BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
REGIONALS
AUSTIN
Saturday
Game 3: Army 7, Texas State 4 (Texas State eliminated)
Game 4: Texas 3, Boston College 2 (25) (longest game in Division I history)
Sunday
Game 5: Boston College (34-25) vs. Army (35-20), 2 p.m.
Game 6: Texas (43-13-1) vs. Game 5 winner, 8 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary
FORT WORTH
Saturday
Game 3: Texas A&M 6, Wright State 4 (Wright State eliminated)
Game 4: Texas Christian 13, Oregon State 1
Sunday
Game 5: Oregon State (36-18) vs. Texas A&M (37-23), 3 p.m.
Game 6: Texas Christian (38-16) vs. Game 5 winner, 8 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary
ATLANTA
Saturday
Game 3: Elon 4, Georgia State 3 (Georgia State eliminated)
Game 4: Southern Mississippi 10, Georgia Tech 7
Sunday
Game 5: Georgia Tech (36-18-1) vs. Elon (41-17), 3 p.m.
Game 6: Southern Mississippi (37-23) vs. Game 5 winner, 7 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary
GAINESVILLE
Saturday
Game 3: Jacksonville 8, Bethune-Cookman 7 (Bethune-Cookman eliminated)
Game 4: Florida 8, Miami, Fla. 2
Sunday
Game 5: Miami, Fla. (37-21) vs. Jacksonville (37-21), 1 p.m.
Game 6: Florida (41-20) vs. Game 5 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary
TEMPE
Saturday
Game 3: Kent State 10, Cal Poly 9 (Cal Poly eliminated)
Game 4: Arizona State 4, Oral Roberts 1
Sunday
Game 5: Kent State (43-16) vs. Oral Roberts (32-14), 4 p.m.
Game 6: Arizona State (46-12) vs. Game 5 winner, 9 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary
CLEMSON
Saturday
Game 3: Tennessee Tech 6, Alabama 2 (Alabama eliminated)
Game 4: Oklahoma State 3, Clemson 2
Sunday
Game 5: Clemson (41-20) vs. Tennessee Tech (31-23-1), 3 p.m.
Game 6: Oklahoma State (34-22) vs. Game 5 winner, 7 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary
GREENVILLE
Saturday
Game 2: East Carolina 11, Binghamton 7
Game 3: Binghamton 11, George Mason 6 (George Mason eliminated)
Game 4: South Carolina 12, East Carolina 2
Sunday
Game 5: East Carolina (43-18) vs. Binghamton (30-21), 2 p.m.
Game 6: South Carolina (40-21) vs. Game 5 winner, 6 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary
CHAPEL HILL
Saturday
Game 3: Kansas 16, Dartmouth 0 (Dartmouth eliminated)
Game 4: North Carolina 14, Coastal Carolina 5
Sunday
Game 5: Coastal Carolina (47-15) vs. Kansas (38-23), 1 p.m.
Game 6: North Carolina (44-16) vs. Game 5 winner, 5 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary
FULLERTON
Saturday
Game 3: Utah 11, Georgia Southern 10 (Georgia Southern eliminated)
Game 4: Cal State Fullerton 7, Gonzaga 4
Sunday
Game 5: Utah (27-30) vs. Gonzaga (36-17), 5 p.m.
Game 6: Cal State Fullerton (44-14) vs. Game 5 winner, 9 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary
LOUISVILLE
Saturday
Game 3: Vanderbilt 10, Indiana 0 (Indiana eliminated)
Game 4: Louisville 3, Middle Tennessee 2
Sunday
Game 5: Middle Tennessee (44-17) vs. Vanderbilt (35-26), 3 p.m.
Game 6: Louisville (46-15) vs. Game 5 winner, 7 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary
TALLAHASSEE
Saturday
Game 3: Ohio State 6, Marist 4 (Marist eliminated)
Game 4: Florida State 8, Georgia 2
Sunday
Game 5: Georgia (38-23) vs. Ohio State (41-18), Noon
Game 6: Florida State (44-16) vs. Game 5 winner, 4 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary
NORMAN
Saturday
Game 3: Washington State 3, Wichita State 2 (Wichita State eliminated)
Game 4: Arkansas 17, Oklahoma 6
Sunday
Game 5: Oklahoma (42-19) vs. Washington State (32-24), 2 p.m.
Game 6: Arkansas (36-22) vs. Game 5 winner, 8 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary
IRVINE
Saturday
Game 3: San Diego State 4, Fresno State 1 (Fresno State eliminated)
Game 4: Virginia 5, UC Irvine 0
Sunday
Game 5: UC Irvine (44-14) vs. San Diego State (41-22), 7 p.m.
Game 6: Virginia (45-12-1) vs. Game 5 winner, 11 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary
OXFORD
Saturday
Game 3: Missouri 9, Monmouth 0 (Monmouth eliminated)
Game 4: Mississippi 7, Western Kentucky 4
Sunday
Game 5: Western Kentucky (40-19) vs. Missouri (35-26), 2 p.m.
Game 6: Mississippi (42-17) vs. Game 5 winner, 6 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary
HOUSTON
Saturday
Game 3: Xavier, Ohio 9, Sam Houston State 6 (Sam Houston State eliminated)
Game 4: Kansas State 7, Rice 6
Sunday
Game 5: Rice (40-16) vs. Xavier, Ohio (39-20), 3 p.m.
Game 6: Kansas State (43-16-1) vs. Game 5 winner, 7 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary
BATON ROUGE
Saturday
Game 3: Minnesota 11, Southern U. 8
Game 4: Louisiana State 3, Baylor 2 (10)
Sunday
Game 5: Baylor (30-25) vs. Minnesota (39-18), 2 p.m.
Game 6: Louisiana State (48-16) vs. Game 5 winner, 7 p.m.
Monday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, if necessary