The University of Florida will play for the national championship in baseball.
The Gators used a thrilling 6-4 victory over Vanderbilt on Friday afternoon to reach the Championship Series of the College World Series for the first time since 2005, and just the second time in school history.
Preston Tucker broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the eighth with a long RBI single with the bases loaded and then Cody Dent scored on a wild pitch to give the Gators a 6-4 lead.
The Gators will face either South Carolina or Virginia in a best-of-three national championship series beginning Monday night at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Florida is looking for its first national title in baseball.
Vanderbilt grabbed a 1-0 on a solo home run by Aaron Westlake in the first inning, while the Gators tied it in the bottom of the third on an RBI ground out by Preston Tucker and took the lead on a two-run single by Nolan Fontana in the fourth. The Gators added a run in the bottom of the sixth when Daniel Pigott scored when Bryson Smith grounded into a double play with the bases loaded.
The Commodores got back into the game in the top of the seventh when Connor Harrell delivered a two-out RBI single and Nick Maronde walked in a run with the bases loaded. In the top of the eighth the Commodores tied it when Austin Maddox hit Conrad Gregor with a pitch with the bases loaded.
Florida and Vanderbilt are meeting for the sixth time this year and the second time in Omaha. Florida has won four of the first five meetings, including a 5-0 decision in the SEC Tournament title game and a 3-1 decision early this week.
UF sent Alex Panteliodis (6-2, 3.95 ERA) to the mound while Vanderbilt countered with Sonny Gray (12-3, 2.12). For Panteliodis, it was another big start, as he was the pitcher of record in defeating Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament title match, while he also started and won the Gators’ clincher in the regional round against Miami, and started in the Super Regional clincher against Mississippi State.
After getting two quick outs in the first inning, Panteliodis surrendered a solo home run over right field by Westlake to put Vanderbilt up 1-0. Panteliodis responded with a 1-2-3 second inning, a sign of things to come. He went six innings, gave up just three hits, struck out three and surrendered just that one run.
The Gators got back into it in the bottom of the third when Dent triple to open the inning, bringing up the top of the lineup. Dent came in to score on a ground out by Tucker, tying the game 1-1.
In the bottom of the fourth the Gators took their first lead when Josh Adams and Tyler Thompson got back-to-back singles and then Dent walked to load the bases. Fontana delivered a two-out, two-run single to put the Gators up 3-1.
The Gators added to the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Pigott opened the inning with a double down the left field line. After a walk to Dent, Fontana dropped a bunt that was mishandled by Gray and loaded the bases with no one out. Smith grounded into a double play, but Pigott scored easily from third to put Florida up 4-1.
After Panteliodis left the game, the Gators opened the seventh inning with Tommy Toledo. Harrell laced a two-out RBI single to cut the lead to 4-2. With two runners on, the Gators called on Maronde who then walked pinch-hitter Bryan Johns to load the bases, then followed with a walk to Tony Kemp to cut Florida’s lead to 4-3.
In the bottom of the eighth Vanderbilt got singles from Curt Casali and Mike Yastrzemski before the Gators went to the bullpen and brought in Maddox in. For Maddox, it was his first appearance on the mound since May 29 and his first appearance overall since suffering an injury on June 3 vs. Manhattan.
Jason Esposito welcomed Maddox with an infield single to load the bases. A batter later he hit Gregor and the game was tied 4-4. With a chance to break it open, Fontana robbed Harrell of another RBI single with a diving catch to keep the score tied, and a batter later Maddox got Bryan Johns to ground out to end the inning.
The Gators wasted little time responding, however. Pigott opened the inning with a single to right center and then Dent and Fontana each got on safely via bunts to load the bases. Tucker came up and delivered a single over the left fielder to give
the Gators a 5-4 lead. For Tucker it was his 20th RBI of the NCAA Tournament.
Dent came in to score on a wild pitch to put Florida up 6-4.
