Florida combined strong pitching performances from sophomores Alex Hart and Joey Simon as it held Arkansas to a season-low three hits and only one run in defeating the Razorbacks 4-1 Sunday at McKethan Stadium. Florida improves to 16-13, 3-6 in the SEC while Arkansas drops to 14-15, 2-7 in league play.
Florida combined strong pitching performances from sophomores Alex Hart and Joey Simon as it held Arkansas to a season-low three hits and only one run in defeating the Razorbacks 4-1 Sunday at McKethan Stadium. Florida improves to 16-13, 3-6 in the SEC while Arkansas drops to 14-15, 2-7 in league play.
Florida completed a three-game sweep of the Razorbacks, its first since sweeping Georgia (May 12-14, 2000) last year. The Gators are now on a five-game winning streak and have defeated Arkansas six consecutive times.
Hart (2-1) went five innings earning his second win of the season while allowing two hits and striking out three. Simon pitched four innings of relief to pick up his first save of the season. Simon struck out two while holding Arkansas to no runs on one hit.
Florida took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. With the game tied at 1-1, Pat Osborn led off the inning with a double over the centerfielder. Kevin Estrada then executed a perfect sacrifice bunt moving Osborn over to third. Brian Rose then singled in Osborn for the go ahead and eventual game winning run. Rose continued his hot hitting with a 2 for 3 performance.
Arkansas starter Scott Roehl took the loss falling to 2-2. Roehl gave up his first hit in 11.2 innings on a Matt Goss solo homer after no-hitting Kansas St. Tuesday.
Mark Kiger went 1-3 and extended his hitting streak to 18 games. Ryan Shealy broke a string of 24 straight hitless at bats with a two-run homerun to straight away centerfield in the sixth. Shealy went 1-3 with 2 RBI and one run.
Arkansas loaded the bases with no outs in the first and second innings. In the first Hart struck out two and got a ground out to second to end the threat with no runs and three left on base. In the second the Razorbacks again loaded the bases with no outs. Hart got a fielders choice and a line out double play to end the inning allowing one run. In the game Arkansas left seven runners on base.
The game saw two rain delays of four minutes and thirty-three minutes and was under an SEC imposed travel time of no new inning after three and a half hours after first pitch because of Arkansas's flight schedule.
Florida returns to action with two midweek games. The Gators host Bethune-Cookman College Tuesday at 7 p.m. Wednesday Florida hosts Florida Atlantic at 5 p.m. All games can be heard on the Gator Radio Network.
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