HOOVER, Ala. — No. 3 Florida defeated No. 4 Vanderbilt 5-0 Sunday to win its first SEC Tournament baseball title since 1991.
The Gators (45-16), who shared the regular-season crown with Vanderbilt (47-10) and South Carolina, won four games in the tourney.
Florida scored two unearned runs in the second inning. Vickash Ramjit walked, advanced to third when Daniel Pigott's infield single was misplayed and scored on Cody Dent's safety squeeze bunt. Pigott later scored on Nolan Fontana's groundout.
That's all the Gators' pitching staff would need. Alex Panteliodis (5-2) went 5.1 innings. Relievers Greg Larson, Nick Maronde and Austin Maddox closed it out.
UF made it 3-0 in the seventh when Fontana reached on a fielder's choice, moved to third on Bryson Smith's single and scored on Preston Tucker's sacrifice fly.
Florida added two more runs in the eighth for the margin of victory.
The Gators will again host an NCAA regional this weekend. The pairings will be announced today.
UF sophomore pitcher Brian Johnson, who was hit by a thrown ball and taken to the hospital before getting cleared Saturday, was in the Gator dugout Sunday. He said he had a big bump on the back of his head and is day-to-day.
Florida scored two unearned runs in the second inning. Vickash Ramjit walked, advanced to third when Daniel Pigott's infield single was misplayed and scored on Cody Dent's safety squeeze bunt. Pigott later scored on Nolan Fontana's groundout.
That's all the Gators' pitching staff would need. Alex Panteliodis (5-2) went 5.1 innings. Relievers Greg Larson, Nick Maronde and Austin Maddox closed it out.
UF made it 3-0 in the seventh when Fontana reached on a fielder's choice, moved to third on Bryson Smith's single and scored on Preston Tucker's sacrifice fly.
Florida added two more runs in the eighth for the margin of victory.
The Gators will again host an NCAA regional this weekend. The pairings will be announced today.
UF sophomore pitcher Brian Johnson, who was hit by a thrown ball and taken to the hospital before getting cleared Saturday, was in the Gator dugout Sunday. He said he had a big bump on the back of his head and is day-to-day.
