Florida Gators
Kentucky
Kentucky Holds Off No. 6 Florida To Secure Series, 7-6
Sunday, April 26, 2015 | Baseball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kentucky (25-16/10-9 SEC) used a four-run second inning and threw out the potential tying run at the plate to end the game in a series-clinching 7-6 victory over No. 6 Florida (32-12/12-8 SEC) on Saturday night at McKethan Stadium. Junior right-hander Dustin Beggs (6-2) scattered six hits over a career-high 8.1 innings to collect the win.
Trailing 7-2 entering the final frame, the Gators used five hits and four runs to close within a run but could not push across the equalizer. Senior Josh Tobias led off with a single into right field and scored on a one-out double into right center field by sophomore Peter Alonso (2-for-3) off of junior Kyle Cody. With two down, freshman Mike Rivera singled into left field and sophomore Ryan Larson drew a walk to fill the sacks.
Sophomore Logan Salow replaced Cody and yielded a two-run, pinch-hit single up the middle to freshman Jeremy Vasquez for a 7-5 deficit. Sophomore Buddy Reed (2-for-5) followed with a base-knock into left field that brought home Larson and a throwing error on the play enabled the Gators to have runners on second and third. Junior Richie Martin tried to plate freshman pinch runner Taylor Lane with a squeeze bunt but Salow fielded the bunt and was able to throw out Lane at the plate to complete the contest and pick up his third save.
The Wildcats jumped out to 4-0 lead in the second against sophomore Dane Dunning (4-2). The righty struck out sophomore Marcus Carson to start the frame but a wild pitch enabled him to reach base. Senior Thomas Bernal and junior Greg Fettes (2-for-2) were hit to load the bases and sophomore Connor Heady (1-for-3, two RBI) was plunked to bring home Carson. A wild pitch allowed Bernal to score and a double by freshman Evan White (2-for-5, two RBI) plated Fettes and Heady. After a walk to junior Ka'ai Tom, junior Aaron Rhodes came in and retired the next two batters.
The Gators answered in the bottom of the stanza with back-to-back sacrifice flies to narrow the gap to 4-2. Tobias led off by being hit, junior Harrison Bader (2-for-4) singled into left field and Alonso walked to fill the bases. Freshman JJ Schwarz drove in Tobias with a fly ball to center field and Rivera also scored Bader with a sacrifice fly.
Kentucky had runners on the corners with none out in the fifth but were kept at bay by Rhodes. After consecutive singles by sophomore JaVon Shelby and junior Dorian Hairston (2-for-5), Shelby was thrown out trying to score from third base on a wild pitch. Rhodes struck out Carson and had Bernal fly out to left field to keep the Gators' deficit at two runs.
Fetts and Heady delivered consecutive homers to begin the sixth for a 6-2 advantage for the Wildcats, ending the night for Rhodes (3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R). Sophomore Kirby Snead worked 1.2 innings before departing with two down in the seventh and a runner at second. Bernal greeted sophomore Frank Rubio (2.1 IP, 2 H) with a double down the left-field line to plate Hairston, who had singled and stolen second base.
Postgame Quotes
Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan
On Kentucky right-hander Dustin Beggs:
“I thought after the second inning we were going to get to him but he just got better as the game went on. His breaking ball got better and he got stronger as the game went on. Credit him because he stayed out there for more than 120 pitches, battled and did a good job.”
On scoring four runs in the ninth inning:
“I thought our guys battled back. It would have been easy for our guys to sit back and not battle, but we have to take that momentum into tomorrow. It's just that simple.”
Senior third baseman Josh Tobias
On the offensive rally in the ninth inning:
"We just have to take what we did positively into tomorrow's game. We battled back and never gave up. We put some good swings on the ball late in some pressure situations. We need to carry that into tomorrow and use it as motivation."
Junior left fielder Harrison Bader
On the energy in the dugout during the ninth inning:
"The energy was really high. We just went to the plate with nothing to lose, just swinging with an approach and a plan, and we strung something together. It's very reassuring to see that we came back, which shows a lot of fight in our lineup and in our team, so we'll just do everything we can again tomorrow.”
Postgame Notes:
- Kentucky has claimed the last three regular-season series against Florida.
- The Gators dropped a series at McKethan Stadium for the first time in 2015 after winning their first seven series.
- Dane Dunning worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first inning with an inning-ending 5-3 double play.
- Aaron Rhodes followed Dunning on the mound and yielded two runs over 3.2 innings with five strikeouts, his second-highest total of the season.
- Richie Martin's 12-game hitting streak was halted.
- For the Gators, Peter Alonso, Harrison Bader and Buddy Reed had multiple-hit outings.
- Bader had his team-leading seventh outfield assist and now has an assist in consecutive games.
Up Next
The Gators and Wildcats will complete the series tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. The game can be heard on the Gator IMG Sports Network with Jeff Cardozo and Mick Hubert and will be simulcast on SEC Network+ through WatchESPN.
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