WHAT HAPPENED: Nelson Maldonado played hero on Sunday afternoon, launching a two-run homer in the seventh inning to propel the Gators to a 5-4 victory and series win over No. 4 Arkansas.
 
Prior to the home run, Maldonado had scuffled in the past week, slumping through a 3-for-22 (.136) stretch going back to last weekend.
 
But when he got a high fastball from Arkansas closer Matt Cronin, Maldonado did not miss.
 
The Gators opened the scoring in the second inning. Jonathan India tripled to right center and scored on a sac fly from Blake Reese.
 
Arkansas responded with back-to-back home runs in the top of the fourth to take a 2-1 lead, but Florida answered with a two-run homer from JJ Schwarz to take a one run lead.
 
The Razorbacks tied it with a sac fly in the top of the fifth inning after knocking UF starter Tyler Dyson from the game.
 
Dyson finished with four-plus innings of work and allowed three runs on five hits. Freshman left-hander Jordan Butler replaced him in the fifth with runners on second and third and nobody out.
 
Butler got a flyout and a pair of strikeouts to escape the jam. He remained in the game until the sixth when he was replaced by closer Michael Byrne.
 
Florida finally broke the tie in the bottom of the seventh. Pinch hitter Kirby McMullen led off with a sharp single to third base. Maldonado's home run put the Gators on top 5-3.
 
Byrne finished out the game, including escaping a ninth-inning jam in which Arkansas scored one run on a pair of doubles to end Byrne's scoreless streak at 26.2 innings.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Jonathan India – Junior Jonathan India is currently on a career-high 11-game hitting streak. He led the team over the weekend going 6-for-9 against Arkansas with a home run and four RBI. During the hitting streak, India is 21-for-36 (.583) with five home runs and 12 RBI.

FROM THE COACH: Head coach Kevin O'Sullivan on bringing in closer Michael Byrne in the sixth inning: "It really had nothing to do with how Jordan [Butler] was throwing the ball. I thought he was throwing the ball good. But we knew we were going to extend Michael today because we hadn't used him yet. I just felt if we were going to lose the lead at that point of the game, I thought it was the right time to bring Michael in and obviously he got us out of that jam. I didn't want to give up the lead and then turn the ball over to Michael.
 
"We had planned to use him for three innings, seventh, eighth and ninth. But I ran him down there in the sixth just in case. The thing about Arkansas' lineup is they can get going in a hurry and you saw that in the ninth inning. I just think that was two really, really good baseball teams playing this weekend at a high level.
 
On today's game: "I appreciate the fans and the way they were into in in the ninth inning. That was really good and it helped our guys. To lose the first game on Friday night and come back and win the next two says a lot about our team right now. It's only the second SEC series of the year but it kind of had that Super Regional feel this weekend. The way we bounced back yesterday and today against an outstanding Arkansas team, obviously I'm pleased with how we played."
 
On Maldonado's home run: "It's amazing how the game always comes back to you. Now with one swing of the bat he feels good about his weekend and rightfully so, against one of the better closers in our league."

STANDOUT STAT: 26.2 – Closer Michael Byrne's scoreless innings streak ended at 26.2 innings in the ninth when Arkansas scored a run after two-straight doubles and a sac fly. It was the first run allowed by Byrne this season.

UP NEXT: Florida will travel to Jacksonville on Tuesday night for a midweek matchup with No. 8 Florida State at 6 p.m. at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
 
Next weekend, the Gators will host No. 7 Vanderbilt for a three-game series beginning Friday night.