Leftwich took the mound in Game 2, and he was determined to go even longer than Mace. The latter matchup was much more pitching-focused, and Leftwich gave up just two hits in the first three innings while Florida’s lineup didn’t get its first hit until the third.
But a nice start for Florida A&M starter Kelyn Fox quickly started to unravel in the bottom of the third. Sterlin Thompson, Halter and Mac Guscette hit RBI singles, while a fielder’s choice from Acton added an additional run, giving UF a 4-0 lead.
Over the next three innings, the teams combined for just two hits. Florida A&M managed to crack the scoreboard in the seventh with a homer ofThe Gators clinched a win in their weekend series against the Rattlers by taking both games of their Friday doubleheader. Leftwich, but Jordan Carrion hit a single in the eighth that allowed the Gators to stretch the margin back to four runs.
Leftwich was pulled after eight innings of work in which he allowed just four hits and a run while striking out eight. Brandon Sproat came in to close the game, and he managed to put away a 5-1 win.
UF now has Saturday off before it returns to the field on Sunday, where it will go for the series sweep of the Rattlers. First pitch for that one is set for 1 p.m. EST.
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