CORAL GABLES — The Gators got all the offense they needed when Bryson Smith launched a three-run homer in the fourth inning and Tommy Toledo and Kevin Chapman combined to limit Miami to four hits and just one earned run as the Gators took the weekend series from the Hurricanes with a 4-2 win Sunday afternoon at Alex Rodriguez Park. It was only the fifth time in school history that the Gators have won a series in Miami.
The Gators won the series, 2-1, and improved to 7-2 on the season. The Gators return home to McKethan Stadium for single games Tuesday and Wednesday against Illinois State before playing host to Charleston Southern for a weekend series.
Miami struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the third, using a hit batsman, a sacrifice and an error to plate an unearned run against Toledo. Nathan Melendres reached when hit by Toledo and he was advanced to second on a bunt by Frankie Ratcliffe. An error by Smith brought Melendres home with the game’s first run. Further damage Stephen Perez went down swinging.
Florida retaliated in the fourth against Miami starter Eric Erickson, parlaying a Miami erorr, a single and Smith’s homer into a 3-1 lead. Daniel Pigott reached with one out on an error by third baseman Harold Martinez and Nolan Fontana followed with a single to right. Smith powered a 1-1 count over the fence in left center field to stake the Gators to a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The home run chased Erickson, bringing on E.J. Encinosa, and he ran into trouble when Jonathan Pigott doubled to left then stole third, but Encinosa settled down to end the inning by striking out Mike Zunino and Matt den Dekker.
Toledo ran into trouble in the fourth when Miami bunched a couple of singles together with two outs, but Toledo got Melendres to fly out to right to end the inning.
The Gators got insurance in the sixth when Fontana led off the inning with a single and one out later stole second and third. Jonathan Pigott walked on a 3-2 count which ended Encinosa’s stint on the mount. That brought on Daniel Miranda, who Zunino greeted with a fly ball to right field that brought Fontana home to make it a 4-1 game.
Miami got a leadoff double in the sixth from Perez and that was it for Toledo. Kevin Chapman came on to relieve and he got the next two hitters on a ground out and a swinging third strike, but Chris Pelaez singled to right to drive home Perez. The Hurricanes thought they had a rally going when Martinez reached on Josh Adams’ error at second base but Chapman struck out Melendres swinging to end the threat.
Chapman locked down the Hurricanes after that. He allowed a runner on an error in the seventh, then proceeded to set down the last seven batters he faced to pick up his second save of the season.
Florida outhit the Hurricanes 9-4 with Fontana leading the way with a 3-4 effort. Preston Tucker delivered a pair of singles in four trips.
In picking up his second win of the season, Toledo (2-0) threw only 73 pitches and struck out four. He hit one batter and walked only one as he lowered his ERA to 1.98.
Chapman, who has appeared in five games, has allowed only four hits and two walks while striking out five in 7-2/3 innings of work. He hasn’t allowed an earned run all season.
With his single in the third, den Dekker kept his hitting streak alive at 18 games. Tucker now has an eight-game hitting streak while Fontana has a seven game streak and Austin Maddox has hit in six straight.