It seemed like Florida was up for a dogfight early, but the Gators failed to score after the second inning on Friday afternoon in the series opener (and first game of a doubleheader) against Tennessee. The Volunteers won, 6-2, behind the relief arm of AJ Causey.
Left-handed spot starter Chris Stamos started the day on the mound for Tennessee. He got through three innings without much damage — Brody Donay homered off him in the second — but he left with the game tied and didn’t factor into the decision.
Causey went five-plus innings, baffling Florida’s lineup until the ninth. He struck out seven without walking one and kept the bullpen fresh for the second game of the doubleheader.
Donny’s homer ended up being Florida’s lone highlight at the plate. The Gators finished the game with seven hits, but two came in the ninth and were negated by a double play to end it.
Jac Caglianone’s eighth-inning base hit is also notable because it extended his hit streak to 26 games. Caglianone moved Ty Evans over to third on that hit, but Florida squandered that opportunity with a strikeout and double play.
Brandon Neely got the start for UF. He ran into trouble in the second and third, giving up four earned runs on seven hits. Neely bounced back in the fourth, striking out the side swinging.
Redshirt freshman Jake Clemente took over in the fifth and struck out five of the seven batters he faced through. He ran into a little trouble in the seventh after a mound visit, but freshman lefty Frank Menendez got out of the inning.
Clemente has been getting more opportunities in recent weeks, and performances like this will only give Sully more confidence in him. Menendez has a rougher outing. A leadoff double and walk in the eighth knocked him out of the game.
Ryan Slater closed out the eighth, and Blake Purnell got the ninth. Purnell hit the first batter he saw and was saved with a line-drive double play, but he gave up back-to-back singles through the left side to bring Sully out.
Freshman Grayson Smith took over and got a ground ball between first and second. Caglianone laid out for it and the ball kicked out of his glove for an RBI base hit.
In the end, those insurance runs didn’t mean much with Florida’s lackluster offense. The doubleheader resumes around 7 p.m. on SEC Network+.
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