ATHENS, Ga. – This time, the No. 17 Florida Gators baseball team didn’t need to dig itself out of a deep hole at Foley Field against No. 6 Georgia. Instead, the Gators constructed a hold onto first place in the East Division of the Southeastern Conference with a pair of victories Saturday.
In the first game, the Gators grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second, allowed the Bulldogs to momentarily tie the game at 3-3 in the fourth and then took the lead for good with a pair of runs in both the fifth and sixth innings before holding on for a 7-6 triumph.
Then after a break, Florida completed Friday night’s suspended game by scoring a run in the 11th inning to complete a 10-9 victory that gave the Gators (33-14, 15-8 SEC East) sole possession of first place over Georgia (33-14, 14-9 SEC East). The victory, which began Friday with Florida in an 8-0 hole after two innings, came when Avery Barnes doubled with two outs and scored on a single to center by Tyler Thompson.
Florida is assured of coming back to Gainesville with at least a share of first place in the East with Georgia after Sunday’s game, which starts at 2 p.m. The Gators are home Wednesday to play Florida Gulf Coast University at 6:30 p.m. and then depart for Baton Rouge for a three-game series against Louisiana State, which is battling Arkansas this weekend for first place in the West Division.
Billy Bullock (2-2), who earned a two-inning save (his ninth) in the first game Saturday, picked up the victory in the suspended game, going the final 1.1 innings and striking out three of the five batters he faced (he hit one batter). The loss went to Dean Weaver, the fifth pitcher used by Georgia.
In the opener, Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan once again got sterling efforts from four members of his bullpen that allowed just one Georgia run and two hits over 3.1 innings in relief of freshman starter and winner Anthony DeSciafani (5-1). Tony Davis, Greg Larson, and Nick Maronde followed before Billy Bullock came in with no outs and one on in the eighth and got six outs on 15 pitches to record his ninth save. Starter Alex McRee (4-1), one of five pitchers used by Georgia coach David Perno, suffered the setback.
Avery Barnes and Buddy Munroe led the 10-hit Florida attack with two hits each. Barnes had his sixth triple of the season, while Munroe had his fifth homer. Teddy Foster also hit his fifth homer of the season for Florida in the second inning, a solo shot that put the Gators up 1-0.
Florida scored twice in the top of the fourth. Brandon McArthur had a one-out single. One out later, Munroe homered to center and Florida led 3-0. But Georgia tied in bottom of the inning when Colby May singled with one out and scored on Bryce Massanari’s 16th homer of the season. Joey Lewis then walked and sped home on Lyle Allen’s double to left center before DeSciafani struck out Peter Verdin looking.
Florida took the lead for good in the fifth with a pair of runs. Barnes reached on a bunt, and after Jonathan Pigott and Preston Tucker both flied to left, Barnes stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Josh Adams then walked and advanced to second on a throwing error by catcher Marranari that allowed Barnes to score. Adams went to third on a passed ball and scored when den Dekker dragged a bunt and beat it out, giving Florida a 5-3 lead and chasing McRee.
In the sixth, Mike Mooney walked with one out and scored when Barnes tripled down the line in right. Two batters later, Tucker singled to right for a 7-3 lead.
Georgia struck back with a 2-run homer by Lewis which ended DeSciafani’s day. The Florida freshman allowed five earned runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Davis got Allen to fly out to left to end the inning with Florida lead 7-5. Davis then surrendered a leadoff single to Verdin before hitting Levi Hyams with a pitch. Larson came in to replace Davis and surrendered a bunt single by Michael Demperio to load the bases with none out.
Maronde came in and struck out Matt Cerione on a 2-2 pitch before May hit a sacrifice fly to right that scored Verdin to bring Georgia within a run. Maronde then got Rich Poythress to pop out to Adams at second to end the threat.
In the bottom of the eighth Maronde worked carefully before walking Massanari on a 3-2 pitch. O’Sullivan then went to Bullock, who got Lewis to pop out to Mooney at short, Allen to fly out to den Dekker in center and then Verdin to ground into a 6-4 forceout that erased Massanari.
In the ninth, Bullock needed just 11 pitches to end the game, striking out Cerione on an 0-2 pitch.
On Friday night, the Gators got down 8-0 when senior left-hander Stephen Locke allowed six runs in the first inning (highlighted by Massanari’s grand-slam homer) and two runs in the second inning (on Lewis’ 2-run homer). Locke was untouchable thereafter, eventually going into the sixth inning before O’Sullivan removed him for the first of what would be five relievers.
Meanwhile, Florida began its comeback with the first of four home runs in the game, a solo shot by Tucker (his 10th) in the third. Mooney and Barnes had back-to-back homers in a 3-run fourth inning and Jonathan Pigott had a 2-run home run in the fifth. A solo run in the sixth closed the Florida deficit to one, 8-7, and after Georgia had gone up 9-7 with a run in the seventh, the Gators tied the game at 9-all with two runs in the eighth.
The game was suspended by a downpour in the bottom of the ninth with Patrick Keating on the mound for Florida. When play resumed Saturday, Munroe gunned down Allen attempting to steal and Keating pinch-hitter O’Bryan to fly out to left field.
In the bottom of the 10th, Keating got the first out but then allowed a double to right center by Demperio. O’Sullivan brought in Maronde, who got Cerione to fly out to right. O’Sullivan then brought in Bullock, who hit May with a pitch but eventually got Poythress swinging to set up Florida’s heroics in the 11th.
There were 32 hits recorded in the game when it was finally over, with Florida having 17. Barnes went 4-for-7, Tucker was 3-for-6 and Adams, den Dekker and Jonathan Pigott each had two hits.
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
EAST SEC Pct. GB All Pct.
Florida 15-8 .652 — 33-14 .702
Georgia 14-9 .609 1.0 33-14 .702
South Carolina 11-12 .478 4.0 29-18 .617
Vanderbilt 10-12 .455 4.5 27-19 .587
Kentucky 8-15 .348 7.0 23-23 .500
Tennessee 7-16 .272 8.0 21-26 .447
WEST SEC Pct. GB All Pct.
Louisiana State 15-8 .652 — 35-13 .729
Mississippi 15-8 .652 — 35-13 .729
Arkansas 14-8 .636 0.5 31-13 .705
Alabama 13-9 .591 1.5 31-15 .674
Auburn 8-15 .348 7.0 27-21 .563
Mississippi State 6-16 .273 8.5 21-25 .457
SATURDAY, MAY 2
Florida 7, Georgia 6
Florida 10, Georgia 9 (11) (completion of suspended game)
Arkansas 11-0, Louisiana State 4-5
Mississippi 8, Auburn 2
South Carolina 14, Vanderbilt 5
Tennessee 8, Kentucky 2
Mississippi State 7, Alabama 3 (suspended, top 6, rain)
SUNDAY, MAY 3
Florida at Georgia, 2 p.m.
Tennessee at Kentucky, 1 p.m.
Vanderbilt at South Carolina, 1:30 p.m.
Mississippi at Auburn, 2 p.m.
Louisiana State at Arkansas, 3 p.m.
Alabama at Mississippi State, 2 p.m. (completion of suspended game)
Alabama at Mississippi State, 4 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6
Florida Gulf Coast at Florida, 6:30 p.m.
South Carolina at Wofford, 7 p.m.
Georgia Tech vs. Tennessee at Chattanooga, Tenn., 7 p.m.