Jacksonville stuck with the Gators every step of the way, but UF managed to take a one-run win over the Dolphins on the road.
Florida’s bullpen has been one of its biggest weaknesses all season, especially in midweek games. These struggles reared their head in a midweek game at Jacksonville on Tuesday night, but after a big offensive game in which the Gators out-hit the Dolphins 12-5, it escaped with a slim 8-7 win.
Freshman pitcher Timmy Manning started the game for the Gators, and he ran into trouble in the first inning. He gave up a single to the leadoff batter, and after another single and a walk, the bases were loaded with just one out. He then gave up his third hit of the inning, a three-RBI double that put UF in an early hole.
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Florida quickly attempted to cut into that lead, as Jud Fabian led off the second with a single, and a two-run homer from Sterlin Thompson cut the Dolphins’ lead to one. The Gators captured the lead in the third inning off a two-RBI single from Colby Halter to make the score 4-3. Another RBI single from Cory Acton later in the inning stretched the lead to two runs.
Manning was replaced after 2 2/3 innings by Ben Specht, who allowed a walk and a hit-by-pitch in the fourth. His night then came to an end in favor of Brandon Sproat, who immediately gave up a two-RBI double that tied the game.
Still, UF managed to respond. Halter and Acton led off the fifth with doubles, which brought a run across, and it added another when a double from Nate Hickey scored Acton. But in a back-and-forth game, the Dolphins refused to go away quietly.
Sproat walked two batters to start the bottom of the fifth, and coach Kevin O’Sullivan subbed in David Luethje on the mound. But Luethje walked two more batters, the latter scored a run to cut the lead to 7-6. Trey Van Der Weide entered to try to save the lead, and he started off with a fielder’s choice that resulted in a throwout at home. But he followed it up with a hit-by-pitch, bringing the tying run across.
After a quiet sixth inning, UF put two on after a Jacob Young walk and a single from Hickey. A sacrifice groundout from Kirby McMullen retook the lead, though the inning ended with the Gators only up one run.
Van Der Weide got through the seventh cleanly, as did Ryan Cabarcas in the eighth. JU had one more chance in the ninth inning, and though it started out with two outs from Cabarcas, he walked the third batter, putting the winning run at the plate. O’Sullivan decided to replace him with Jordan Carrion, who threw just one pitch to close out the game with a groundout.
With a dicey midweek win in the books, Florida can focus on its upcoming SEC series at Auburn, who is just 2-13 in SEC play. Game 1 is set for Friday night at 7 p.m. EDT.
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