Florida Gators

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tied at two runs apiece entering the eighth inning, No. 1 Florida scored four runs on five hits in the frame to defeat North Florida, 6-2, on Tuesday night at Harmon Stadium. In winning their season-high seventh game in a row, the Gators (13-1) claimed the front end of the home-and-home mid-week series and downed the Ospreys (6-7) in Jacksonville for the first time in four meetings.
 
After junior right-hander Dane Dunning registered a career-high 10 strikeouts over a season-high six innings, junior Kirby Snead (1-0) retired all nine batters he faced to collect his first victory of the campaign. The southpaw retired UNF on 18 pitches over three perfect innings, 17 of which were strikes.
 
In the decisive eighth, sophomore Dalton Guthrie (3-for-5, two runs) doubled to left center with one down and junior Buddy Reed (2-for-4) followed with a base-hit into left field for runners on the corners. Sophomore JJ Schwarz gave Florida its first lead of the night by sending a 3-2 pitch from junior Matthew Naylor (1-2) into left field to drive in Guthrie. Junior Peter Alonso (2-for-4, two RBI) followed with a double to left field to plate Reed and sophomore Jeremy Vasquez was walked intentionally to load the bases with one down. The move backfired when sophomore Mike Rivera (2-for-4) stroked a two-run single through the right side of the infield to bring Schwarz and Alonso across the dish to build a four-run cushion.
 
Senior Corbin Olmstead had opened the scoring for the Ospreys with a two-run homer in the first inning. Dunning had issued a leadoff walk to senior Kyle Brooks and Olmstead delivered his second homer of the year to left field.
 
Alonso cut the Gators' deficit in half with an RBI single in the fourth. Freshman left-hander Austin Drury held the visitors hitless until Guthrie led off with his fifth double down the left-field line. Reed followed with a bunt single for runners on the corners and Alonso roped a one-out single on a hit-and-run into right field to score Guthrie and push Reed to third. Drury escaped further trouble by having Vasquez ground into a 6-4-3 double play.
 
Freshman Jonathan India tied the game in the fifth with a sacrifice fly to straightaway center field. Rivera blooped a double into right field and freshman Deacon Liput drew a walk before junior Ryan Larson moved his teammates over with a sacrifice bunt. Soon after, India's fly ball brought across Rivera with the equalizer.
                                                      
Postgame Quotes
Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan
"This was one of the most complete games that we have played this season. I thought that Dane (Dunning) was outstanding and for Kirby (Snead) to throw 18 pitches and 17 strikes over three innings was very impressive. We battled there in the eighth against a top reliever – with JJ (Schwarz), Pete (Alonso) and Mike (Rivera) coming through with key hits – and we played a clean game in the field tonight."
 
Postgame Notes

• Florida picked up its sixth come-from-behind victory of the season and is now 5-1 away from Gainesville this year.
• Dane Dunning had three strikeouts in the fourth and sixth innings and registered a career-high 10 K over a season-high six innings.
• Kirby Snead earned his first victory since March 4, 2015, against UCF and lowered his season earned run average to 0.82 (one earned run in 11 innings).
• Buddy Reed raised his hitting streak to nine games with a bunt single in the fourth inning and was 2-for-4.
• Deacon Liput earned a free pass in the fifth and has reached base in all 14 of the Gators' contests this year.
• The Gators played error-free baseball for the seventh time this year and improved to 7-0 in those outings.
• Florida enjoyed an 11-4 advantage in hits and had four doubles.
• UF's pitching staff had 10 strikeouts and issued two walks.

 
Up Next
The Gators and Ospreys will complete the mid-week series at McKethan Stadium tomorrow at 7 p.m. Freshman RHP Jackson Kowar (1-0, 2.25) will start against an UNF pitcher to be announced. The game can be heard on the Gator IMG Sports Network with Steve Russell and streamed on SEC Network+ through Watch ESPN with Nick Belmonte and Jeff Cardozo.
 
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