NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 8 Florida left Gainesville trailing No. 3 Vanderbilt by one game for the lead in the SEC baseball standings.
Thanks to sophomore catcher Mike Zunino’s three-run home run in the 12th inning Sunday that lifted the Gators to a 6-3 win over Vanderbilt, UF returned Sunday night tied with the Commodores and South Carolina for the lead in the SEC with three league games remaining.
UF (39-13 overall) won the weekend series 2-1 from the Commodores (42-18) and both teams stand at 20-7 in the SEC. UF closes its league schedule by hosting Kentucky for three games starting Thursday.
South Carolina, the defending national champions, improved to 20-7, 41-11 overall after winning the series against Arkansas on Sunday.
South Carolina closes its SEC schedule next weekend at Alabama, while Vanderbilt is at Georgia.
Nolan Fontana started the 12th with a walk and moved to second on Bryson Smith’s sacrifice bunt. Preston Tucker was walked intentionally before Zunino, who drove in five runs, launched his second home run of the game.
Reliever Tommy Toledo (3-3) set down the Commodores in order in the bottom of the inning. Toledo pitched the final two innings and struck out three.
Austin Maddox gave UF a 1-0 lead in the second with a home run.
Vandy scored two in the second and one in the fourth for a 3-1 lead.
Zunino closed the gap to 3-2 with a solo homer in the seventh.
He helped tie the score at 3-all in the eighth. Fontana singled and later scored on Zunino’s sacrifice fly.
UF next hosts Jacksonville University at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
