Friday, April 1, 2011

Randall blanks Vols in second straight complete game

Florida found some life in its bats again Friday night.


The fourth-ranked Gators (22-5, 5-2 SEC) combined for 10 hits in a 3-0 victory over Tennessee (19-7, 2-5 SEC) in front of a crowd of 4,222 at McKethan Stadium.

Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan continued to hit his power guys toward the bottom of the lineup Friday, but saw production from them early.

Preston Tucker, who moved from the three spot to the fifth, singled up the middle with one out in the bottom of the second. Austin Maddox, who dropped to sixth, then lifted a 2-2 pitch from Tennessee starter Rob Catapano over the trees behind the left-field bleachers to give the Gators a 2-0 lead.

Florida's final run came in the bottom of the eighth when catcher Mike Zunino, who extended his hitting streak to 15 games earlier in the inning, scored on a wild pitch by reliever Jerod Peper.

Starter Hudson Randall collected his team-high fifth win of the season with his second straight complete game It was the first time a Florida pitcher threw back-to-back complete games since Tommy Boss in 2005.

Randall struck out four, walked none and gave up four hits.