These Gators Don't Get Rattled

The Gators convene on the mound during Friday night's come-from-behind win over Georgia. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)

These Gators Don't Get Rattled

Friday, May 11, 2018 | Baseball, Scott Carter

Florida didn't play its sharpest game of the season on Friday night against Georgia, but the Gators delivered one of their most memorable wins of the season in the end.

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The postseason doesn't start until May 22 when the Southeastern Conference Tournament steps to the plate in Hoover, Ala.

Still, what transpired for 3 hours, 4 minutes between No. 1-ranked Florida and No. 15 Georgia on Friday night at McKethan Stadium seemed more than just another regular-season series opener.

Florida's 7-6 walk-off win had a little bit of everything: home runs, lead changes and fans biting their fingernails until the end.

"It's exciting, this time of year,'' Gators coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. "It was a really good ballgame."

In fact, too good for O'Sullivan's preference considering the Gators overcame some uncharacteristic mistakes right up until the end when Wil Dalton's game-winning sacrifice fly to center – Georgia outfielder Tucker Maxwell dropped the ball for an error but had no chance to throw out Nick Horvath from third – to move within a victory of clinching at least a tie for the SEC regular-season title.

Catcher JJ Schwarz had two passed balls, including one in the top of the ninth that allowed Georgia's C.J. Smith to score the go-ahead run with two outs. Closer Michael Byrne's pitch crossed up Schwarz due to a communication lapse.

Schwarz did his part at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a mammoth home run to left in the fourth inning that gave the Gators a 3-0 lead. However, Georgia scored five runs in the sixth to take the lead as the floodgates opened when first baseman Keenan Bell dropped the ball on a routine grounder as he prepared to flip it to pitcher Brady Singer.

And on Dalton's game-winning sac fly, O'Sullivan pointed out the Gators nearly made a costly base-running error that would have resulted in extra innings had Maxwell caught the ball and Dalton passed Jonathan India on the basepath.

In the end, the Gators raced from the dugout and mobbed Dalton in shallow right field as they won their 40th game of the season.

"Sometimes when you win a game, those mistakes can kind of get lost,'' O'Sullivan said afterward. "You just kind of push it aside, and when you lose, the mistakes get magnified and they're glaring. But I thought tonight was a really good teaching moment. It was a great win for the team, but at the same token we've got to improve from some of the mistakes."

The Gators cruised until the sixth behind another stellar outing from starter Brady Singer, who ran his scoreless innings streak to 17 2/3 innings before Bell's error. Two batters later, L.J. Talley threatened to hand Singer only his second loss of the season when he crushed ball into a palm tree beyond the right-field wall for a grand slam, putting the Bulldogs (34-15, 15-10) up 5-3.

The Gators showed their resiliency in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs to tie the game 5-all. Schwarz's two-run double did the trick and set up an intense final three innings.

"We don't panic, whether we're down 10 or we're down 1," Dalton said. "Just one run at a time, give the bat to the next guy behind you and just grind it out. That's basically who we are. That's what good ball clubs do. Never give up, and that's what these guys do."

Bell redeemed himself with a good at-bat to lead off the ninth, fouling off a pair of pitches before singling. Horvath followed with a single and after Bulldogs reliever Zac Kristofac hit Deacon Liput with a pitch to load the bases, Nelson Maldonado's RBI sac fly to center tied the game 6-6.

Georgia then intentionally walked India to set the stage for Dalton's heroics.

As they did in the sixth after Georgia's five-run outburst, the Gators stayed calm following Schwarz's passed ball in the ninth that put the Bulldogs back in front.

"So what? So what? It's over,'' Dalton said. "As soon as that ball hits the backstop, there's nothing you can do. On to the next thing."

"That's why I love this team,'' Singer added.

The announced crowd of 5,279 definitely loved the ending the Gators delivered.

The postseason is around the corner. The Gators have looked ready for a return trip to Omaha all season.

In his 11th season and six trips to Omaha packed away, O'Sullivan played the role of veteran skipper as the stadium emptied.

"In a walk-off win, you certainly don't want to dampen the mood, but at the same time this team's got a chance to do some things in the postseason and have a special season, but if we make those types of mistakes, they'll come back to haunt you," O'Sullivan said. "One mistake can cost you a game. One game can cost you a season."

On a humid May night at the ballpark, one swing lifted the Gators to the verge of back-to-back SEC titles.

Dalton had already moved on from the mistakes by the time the white streak off his bat sailed into the night sky. The game was over. The comeback complete.

"I knew as soon as I hit it,'' he said.