T.J. Vogel Wins Second Tournament of the Year as Gators Cruise to Charleston Shootout Title

The University of Florida men’s golf team used a final round 287 to finish 15 strokes ahead of Augusta State to capture its third tournament victory of the season at the Charleston Shootout at the Links at Stono Ferry. For the day, UF was led by junior T.J. Vogel (Cooper City, Fla.) who captured his second individual title of the season after finishing the tournament with an impressive three-round total of 206 (-10 ).  

“It was another good, solid, day out there for us,” said head coach Buddy Alexander. “We’re very happy to get the win on a course that played a lot tougher today.”

“T.J.’s win was awesome,” Alexander continued. “He’s been incredibly good for us and I don’t see why it has to stop. He’s incredibly consistent and just has a drive to get better every time out.”

Vogel, who now has six consecutive top-8 finishes, posted a final round 72 (E) to claim the victory by a stroke over defending tournament champion Jacobo Paston of Charleston Southern. After making the turn in one-over 37, Vogel dropped another stroke on the par-3 11th to fall out of the lead. The junior didn’t back down and recovered nicely making birdies on two of his next four holes and closing with a trio of pars going out to clinch the victory.  

Men's Tennis Blanks USF Bulls, 7-0, in Final Match Before Conference Play

The sixth-ranked Florida men’s tennis team returned to action after a week off by shutting out USF, 7-0, on Tuesday evening at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex. The Gators took the doubles point with wins on courts 1 and 3, and all six singles courts won in straight sets.

Florida improved to 7-1 on the season in their final match before beginning Southeastern Conference play this weekend.

More at http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=22525

Danny Wuerffel Selected to Ballot for College Football Hall of Fame

The National Football Foundation (NFF) announced today that former Gator great Danny Wuerffel is one of 76 players and eight coaches on the 2012 Football Bowl Subdivision Ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Wuerffel is one of three Gators to win the Heisman trophy. He led UF to four consecutive SEC Championships (1993-96) and one National Championship (1996). Upon graduation, Wuerffel held 48 records (4 NCAA, 12 SEC and 32 Florida).

If selected, Wuerffel would be the 10th Gator to be inducted in to the NFF College Football Hall of Fame. 

University of Florida NFF College Football Hall of Fame Members
Players
Player	Position	Playing Years	Year Inducted
Dale Van Sickel	E	1927-29	1975
Steve Spurrier	QB	1964-66	1986
Jack Youngblood	DE	1968-70	1992
Emmitt Smith	RB	1987-89	2006
Wilber Marshall	LB	1980-83	2008
Carlos Alvarez	WR	1969-71	2011
Coaches
Coach	Years coached		Year Inducted
Charles Bachman	1928-32		1978
Ray Graves	1960-69		1990
Doug Dickey	1970-78		2003

Florida falls short at Vanderbilt

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Florida had a chance to pick up a big upset win at Vanderbilt.

But poor shot selection down the stretch doomed the No. 13 Gators in a 77-67 loss to Vanderbilt at Memorial Gym.

Florida (22-8, 10-5 SEC) fell into a second-place tie in the SEC with Vanderbilt (21-9, 10-5 SEC) and failed in a chance to secure the number two overall seed in the SEC Tournament.

Bradley Beal led Florida with 16 points. Erving Walker added 15 points and three assists, and Kenny Boynton had 11 points.

But Florida had no answers to stop Vanderbilt junior guard John Jenkins. Jenkins finished with 22 points, two points above his average.

Vanderbilt shot 12 of 24 (50 percent) from 3-point range, while Florida was 8 of 24 (33 percent).

Read more at http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20120228/articles/120229490.

Loss to Georgia drops Gators in polls

Florida’s momentum from a three-game SEC winning streak was halted on Saturday with a double-digit loss to Georgia, a team the Gators (22-7, 10-4 SEC) beat by 22 at home and which is currently 11th in the conference. It was Florida’s first game without Will Yeguete, who had surgery for a broken foot Friday and is out for the year.

But the outcome was enough to drop Florida four spots in the Associated Press poll and two spots in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. UF now ranks 16th by AP voters and 13th by the coaches.

Women's Golf Climbs to Fifth After Second Round of Allstate Sugar Bowl; Three Gators in Top-25

The No.12 University of Florida women’s golf team climbed up two spots to fifth-place after the second round of the 2012 Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championship. The Gators carded a second round 293 (+5) to give them a two round total of 593 (+17), just eight strokes off the lead. The reigning SEC Golfer of the Week, freshman Camilla Hedberg (Sitges, Spain), handed in a second round 69 (-3) to pace the team.

“I have to stay that I’m very pleased with the toughness of this team today,” said head coach Jan Dowling. “We didn’t start off our best today and the weather was terrible. It was windy, cold and rainy and they hung tough and kept themselves mentally tough.”

Hedberg, after going six-over on the back-nine in round one, bounced back to shoot two-under on the back nine in the second round. The freshman’s round of 69 marks the second time in her young career she carded a round under 70 and the fifth time she has shot a round at even or under par. The Sitges, Spain native will enter the final round tied for 7th.

“Camilla was disappointed with her round yesterday but she reacted really well,” Explained Dowling. “She wasn’t pleased with her finish yesterday and started with a few bogeys today but then rattled off a bunch of birdies.”

Joining Hedberg with a round under par was senior Evan Jensen (Belleair, Fla.), who added a second round 71 (-1). Jensen made two birdies against one bogey, with both birdies coming on consecutive holes on the back-nine. Jensen sits in a tie for 16th with a 36-hole total of 148 (+4).

Following an impressive first round, senior Andrea Watts (Bradenton, Fla.) shot a solid 77 (+5), which gave her a season-best 36-hole total of 149 (+5). Watts, currently tied for 23rd, will look to snag her second top-25 finish this season following tomorrow’s final round.

Junior Mia Piccio (Bacolod City, Philippines) will enter the final round at the English Turn Golf and Country Club in a tie for 30th with a two-day total of 150 (74-76, +6).

Rounding out UF’s lineup was junior Megan Pak (Bradenton, Fla.), who added a second round 81(+9) to give her a 36-hole total of 160 (+16) going into the final round.

“We’re extremely excited about our opportunity and we’ll continue to do the things we’ve been working on. We’re in contention to win and that’s why we came here,” Dowling said about tomorrow’s final round.

Florida Falls at Tennessee in Regular-Season Finale

Sophomore Lily Svete (Granger, Ind.) scored a career-high and led Florid with 12 points but the Gators went cold from the floor in the final minutes and lost at No. 10/9 Tennessee, 75-59, at Thompson-Boling Arena Sunday afternoon in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Florida (18-11, 8-8 SEC) committed 20 turnovers that the Lady Vols (21-8, 12-4 SEC) converted into 10 points, as UT also benefitted from holding a 16-7 advantage in fast break points.

The Gators will be the No. 8 seed in the Southeastern Conference Tournament that begins Thursday, March 1 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Florida will play Auburn in the first round beginning at 1 p.m. ET/Noon CT.

Women's Track and Field Wins 2012 SEC Indoor Championship

The No. 6 University of Florida women’s track and field team claimed the 2012 Southeastern Conference Indoor Championship, its second indoor league team crown in the last three years and the seventh indoor team title for the Gator women, on Sunday at the E.J. Nutter Field House on the campus of the University of Kentucky.

The UF women scored 132 total points to win the championship, while No. 2 LSU finished second with 109 points and No. 4 Arkansas was third with 99. The Razorbacks won the men’s team title with 151 points, while the No. 2 Gators were second with 137 and No. 24 Georgia placed third with 85.5.

“These ladies had a team-only meeting last April,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said. “They made the decision that they were going to get better and get better in a hurry, and they were second at SEC Outdoors. They sat down in the fall and they talked about what we were capable of doing and how we were going to get it done, and I think what you saw this weekend was a byproduct of that.”

The Gator women utilized 16 out of 20 scoring opportunities on Sunday, as Florida scored 98 points on the final day of the SEC Indoor Championships.

More info at http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=22508.

No. 1 UF Baseball Completes Sweep Of William & Mary, 5-3

No. 1 Florida (7-1) used homers by junior Nolan Fontana (Winter Garden, Fla.) and senior Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) to defeat William & Mary (2-5), 5-3, on Sunday afternoon at McKethan Stadium. The game was stopped with two outs in the top of the sixth due to heavy rains and unplayable field conditions. The Gators’ fifth-straight win completed a weekend sweep of the Tribe.

“We didn’t really pitch ahead very much and we used a lot of pitches,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “Nolan (Fontana) swung the bat well and (Preston) Tucker continues to swing the bat well too. We’ve got a lot of things we have to work on, but you have to compliment their pitchers. I thought they did a nice job all weekend. I think we need to hit a little better from top to bottom. There are guys that are having good games, but we just have to be more consistent.”

Full article at http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=22505

Gators Win Fourth Straight, Defeat Detroit 22-3

The No. 4 Florida Lacrosse team braved the elements again Sunday afternoon, defeating the University of Detroit Mercy Titans, 22-3, in the pouring rain. The Gators captured their fourth straight victory, scoring over 20 points in back-to-back games for the first time in team history. The win lifts Florida to 4-1, while Detroit opens the year 0-1.

“I thought we played really well,” said Head Coach Amanda O’Leary. “They did all the things that we asked them to do.  They made adjustments from Friday night.  I think defensively we were solid. Offensively, obviously, did a good job with all our goals, and I though Cara and Mikey played great in goal.  I was really overall happy with our performance.”

Ashley Bruns (Ellicott City, Md.) followed her record-breaking performance from Friday night with four goals against Detroit, to finish with a 15-point weekend. Gabi Wiegand (Bay Shore, N.Y.) had a team-leading six points, notching four goals and two assists, and Kitty Cullen (Rockville, Md.) and Shannon Gilroy (Huntington, N.Y.) each had two goals and an assist.

Colby Rhea (Abingdon, Md.) came off the bench for the first time this season, recording a goal and a ground ball, and Taylor McCord (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Jamie Reeg (Atlantis, Fla.) both scored their first goals of the season, with McCord also adding her first two career assists. Krista Grabher (Vero Beach, Fla.) and Brittany Dashiell (Bel Air, Md.) both pitched in a pair of goals as well.

“I thought we played really well today,” said Reeg. “We kept it going the whole 60 minutes.  We never let down.  The defense communicated a lot and we really helped each other out.”

More at http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=22506

Gator Softball Finishes Cathedral City Classic in California With 3-0 Victory Over Boise State

In Florida softball’s final game of the 2012 Cathedral City Classic Saturday, the Gators defeated Boise State, 3-0, at the Big League Dreams Sports Complex in Palm Springs to finish the weekend 4-1, including two victories over Top-25 opponents in Texas A&M and Texas.

Florida defeated No. 16/14 Texas A&M, BYU, No. 8 Texas and Boise State, falling by just three runs, 5-2, to No. 5 Washington. The Gators are 13-1 on the season and return home for a Thursday contest against Eastern Michigan before hosting their home tournament, the 2012 Lipton Invitational March 2-4 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

Throughout UF’s three-day stay in California, the Gators put up 19 runs on 28 hits, six homers, two doubles and a triple. Florida drew 13 walks and turned three double plays on the defensive side. Sophomore ace Hannah Rogers (Lake Wales, Fla.) picked up three wins in the circle for UF, while freshman Lauren Haeger (Peoria, Ariz.) tallied one win against BYU and the Washington, loss as classmate Alyssa Bache (Clearwater, Fla.) earned her first career save against BYU. The trio collaborated for 34 strikeouts, led by Rogers’ 20, while limiting opponents to a .223 batting clip.

With two shutouts against BYU and Boise State, Florida now has seven on the 2012 campaign to go along with seven run-rule victories and one extra-innings win against USF in Tampa.

More at http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=22494

Tucker Sets School's RBI Record; No. 1 UF Clinches Series Against William & Mary, 5-1

Senior Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) became Florida’s career RBI leader and junior Brian Johnson (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) (1-0) carried a shutout into the seventh inning as the top-ranked Gators (6-1) clinched their weekend series with a 5-1 victory over William & Mary (2-4) on Saturday afternoon at McKethan Stadium.

Tucker (2-for-4) belted a two-out solo homer in the third inning to break a tie with Brad Wilkerson (1996-98) on top of the school’s career list. He now has a Florida-record 215 RBI in 205 games played. Freshman Casey Turgeon (Palm Harbor, Fla.) (2-for-3) had a two-run dinger as part of a three-run sixth for his first career round-tripper.

“I thought that our approach was better,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “I don’t think the result was quite what we wanted as far as the hit total, but I thought we tried to go the other way a little bit better. We tried to swing at better pitches earlier in the count to not get ourselves out. It was a tough day to hit – the wind was blowing across from right to left, and we hit a lot of fly balls to right field. But, I thought the approach itself was better. The results were obviously not what they wanted as a whole, but the bottom line is that the approach was better.”

On setting the RBI record, Tucker said, “It’s a little relief and felt good, especially since we were only up one at that point. I got the record; it feels great and now I can just continue to have good at-bats.”

“It was really cool (receiving a standing ovation from the crowd at McKethan Stadium). A lot of these fans I see every day; we have a ton of loyal fans. It was a great crowd today and I’d like to thank the fans for supporting me over the last four years.”

“It means a lot (to break the record). It’s really cool since it was previously held by Brad Wilkerson who played in the Big Leagues for a ton of years. And, you know, it means a lot knowing that the guys in front of me have been on base a whole lot -- going back to Avery Barnes and Matt den Dekker too, and the guys hitting in front of me this year. We’ve had a great team through the last four years and it means a lot to me.” 

More at http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=22497

Gators Go Cold in Loss at Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. -- For openers (literally), Florida trailed by two points before Saturday’s game even started. 

That’s because Gators backup swingman Casey Prather dunked a basketball during pre-game warm-ups and was assessed an administrative technical foul the UF coaching staff did not particularly agree with. Gerald Robinson made both free throws, then the Gators and Bulldogs lined up for the opening tip. 

For the visitors, it was all downhill from there. 

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope paced five Georgia players into double-figures with 18 points and the Bulldogs belied their poor statistical numbers on the offensive end with a sharp-shooting 76-62 upset of the listless and stone-cold Gators before a scattered crowd of 10,265 at Stegeman Coliseum. 

The Bulldogs (13-15, 4-10) came into the game next-to-last in the Southeastern Conference standings and but last in the league in scoring (61 points per game) as well as field-goal percentage (39.2). So while the Gators (22-7, 10-4), one of the SEC’s better shooting team, made just 36.7 percent for the game -- including a woeful 5-for-23 from 3-point range (21.7 percent) -- the Dawgs hit 53.8 percent from the floor, rained in more threes than the visitors (7) and posted their third-highest point total of the season. 

“Our defense was just terrible,” UF freshman swingman Bradley Beal said. 

It was on par with the team’s energy level, according to head coach Billy Donovan, who once again found himself lecturing his players -- as he did at halftime of Tuesday’s home game against Auburn, which the Gators rallied to win -- about playing with the kind purpose and enthusiasm of past UF champions, such as, say, Al Horford, who with his arm in a sling, happened to have a front-row seat Saturday for this eyesore. 

“I’m really concerned if we’ll ever play with passion again,” Donovan said. “I’m being totally honest.” 

Though still alone in second place in the SEC standings, the Gators have not clinched a bye in the first round of the league’s postseason tournament, with their next two outings against third-place Vanderbilt (20-8) Tuesday night and next weekend against No. 1-ranked Kentucky (28-1) in the regular-season finale at the O’Connell Center. 

For more, go to http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=22499

Gymnastics tops No. 3 Dawgs

The top-ranked Florida Gators took care of business Friday night, downing No. 3 Georgia 197.525-196.825 before an O'Connell Center crowd of 6,134 as both squads closed out their SEC dual-meet schedules.

It was just UF's second dual-meet win over the Gym Dogs since 1990, the other coming when Georgia last visited the O-Dome in 2010.

While neither team was at its best — Florida's score was its third-highest of the season and Georgia's was its fourth-highest — UF's Kytra Hunter continued to shine bright.

Moire details at http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20120224/articles/120229664?p=all&tc=pgall.

Horn and Harrell Register Record-Breaking Performances to Open SEC Indoor Championships

Senior multi-event athlete Gray Horn (Waynesfield, Ohio) leads the pack, including NCAA leader Arkansas’ Gunnar Nixon, at the 2012 Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships, setting a new Florida first-day heptathlon record with 3,418 points, coming just three points shy of tying the SEC Indoor Championships first-day record.

“There's been a lot of hype surrounding the heptathlon: Gray vs. the Arkansas guys and the Georgia guys,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said. “Gray is such a cool customer. We talked to Gray about just coming out, executing and giving big efforts. What we have to do is come back, get some food in him and get him prepared for tomorrow."

Horn tied his career-best in the men’s 60 meters with a time of 6.96, placing second in the event to start Friday’s competition. Horn then went on to capture the men’s heptathlon long jump, earning a 7.57m/24-10 mark to close in on Georgia’s Cory Holman by one point.

The Ohio native used the shot put to make his move, throwing 13.70m/44-11.50 to advance to the top of the leaderboard with 2,559 points. Horn kept the final event, the high jump, close as he nearly broke his personal best with a leap of 2.06m/6-9, finishing the event tied for second and closing out the day with a personal-best and Florida school-record 3,418 points.

Horn will finish the heptathlon on Saturday afternoon, as he has the 60 meter hurdles, the pole vault and the 1,000 meters remaining.

Sophomore multi-event athlete Brittany Harrell (McComb, Miss.) set a new Florida record en route to her fourth-place finish in the women’s pentathlon on Friday evening. Harrell scored a career best of 4,050 points, making her the first Gator pentathlete to ever score more than 4,000 points (3,999, Dorchelle Webster, 2/24/90) and ending a 22-year-old record down to the day.

“I'm very pleased with our performances today,” Holloway said. “When I talk to the team later in our team meeting, I'm going to talk about effort. You come to this meet and if you just put forth the effort, after all the training we've done, great things will happen. As we saw from Brittany today, I think her mark (4,050) is strong enough to get her to the NCAA Championships and for her to come out and compete the way she did was awesome."

Harrell started the day with a season-best time in the 60 meter hurdles, finishing 10th in 8.81. Harrell then moved on to the high jump, where she cleared 1.73m/5-8 to tie for second in the event, catapulting herself into third place on the leaderboard.

Harrell faltered slightly in the shot put, throwing for a 10.95m/35-11.25 mark in the event to place fifth. She turned it around in the final two events of the evening, as Harrell earned back-to-back career bests in the long jump and 800 meters. In the long jump, Harrell soared a personal best 5.81m/19-0.75 on her final jump to put herself in contention heading into the final event, the 800 meters. Harrell ran the best race of her young career, taking second in the 800 meters with a personal best time of 2:19.86 to finish fourth overall, scoring five points for Florida’s women’s team.

"I think this is kind of a prelude for what we want to do the rest of the weekend,” Holloway finished. “There's no doubt this set the tone for the rest of the weekend. When the rest of the team sees how Brittany and Gray did tonight, they're going to be very pleased and it's going to get them fired up for what they need to do."

Randall settles to lead top-ranked baseball to win

After getting hit hard early, Florida ace Hudson Randall settled down and turned in a dominant performance to lead the No. 1 Gators to a 4-1 victory over William & Mary on Friday night at McKethan Stadium.

Randall started out shaky, giving up a home run and three doubles through three innings. He was in command from that point on, retiring 12 of the last 13 batters he faced before giving way to closer Austin Maddox with a runner on second and one out and in the seventh.

Maddox came on with the Gators leading 2-1 and earned the save by giving up only one hit -- a fly-ball double -- over the final 2.2 innings.

In his 6.1 innings, Randall (1-0) gave up fives hits, struck out four and walked none.
The victory improves the Gators to 5-1 on the season, while the Tribe drops to 2-3.

Florida Softball Adds Two Victories Friday Over BYU and No. 8 Texas

Junior Ensley Gammel (Bakersfield, Calif.) and sophomore Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.) both homered twice Friday as the Florida softball team cruised to 3-0 and 5-1 victories over BYU and No. 8 Texas, respectively, on the second day of the Cathedral City Classic at the Big League Dreams Sports Complex in Palm Springs.

The Gators improved to 12-1 on the season, while sophomore Hannah Rogers (Lake Wales, Fla.) and freshman Lauren Haeger (Peoria, Ariz.) earned wins in the circle to improve to 7-0 and 4-1, respectively, while freshman hurler Alyssa Bache (Clearwater, Fla.) tallied her first save of the season with an inning of hitless, scoreless work – including two strikeouts – to close out the first game of the afternoon against the Cougars.

After two scoreless innings against BYU (8-5), Gammel led off the top of the third for the Gators, smacking just her third career homer with a full count to put Florida on the board with a 1-0 lead and no outs on the board. The Gators had several more chances to strike in the inning with a Kasey Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) double and Katie Medina (Downey, Calif.) sac bunt, followed by a Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) walk and stolen base to place both Fagans in scoring position, but a fielder’s choice and pitching change resulted in a ground out to halt the Gator scoring.

Haeger sat BYU’s next three batters down in order, bringing up the top of the fourth, allowing Florida to add two to the score with after junior Brittany Schutte (Fountain Valley, Calif.) base hit set up a Coyle two-run shot, her team-leading fourth of the season, to give the Gators what would be the final 3-0 victory.

BYU used three pitchers in the match-up, starting Hannah Howell (4-2), who took the loss, and followed with Caroline Umphlett and Tori Almond, who contributed a combined four innings before Howell came in to finish what she started. The Cougar pitching staff collaborated to fan six Gators, while giving up four hits and three runs.

The Cougars threatened in both the sixth and seventh innings, but Haeger worked her way out of a jam in the sixth with the bags loaded after a smart play by Coyle at the plate on a fielder’s choice to prevent a run from scoring, while Haeger fanned Jenna Goar swinging to get out of the inning.

A leadoff base hit in the bottom of the seventh for pinch hitter Katie Manuma spurred a change from Haeger to Bache in the circle. Bache fanned Lacey Millet and Jessica Dugas, while forcing a Bailie Hicken ground out to complete the Gator victory for the first save of the season for the Orange and Blue.

In Haeger’s 6.0 innings worked, the righty gave up just five hits and walked two for her second shutout, this time combined with Bache, of the 2012 season. Florida now has six shutouts on the year.

In the second game of UF’s Friday doubleheader, the Gators chalked up their second victory over a Top 15 program this season, downing No. 8 Texas, 5-1, thanks in part to Coyle and Gammel homers for two runs in the fourth frame.

Florida wasted no time getting an aggressive start, putting up the first score of the game in the first inning on a Haeger sacrifice fly that plated classmate S. Fagan, who led off with a base hit to left center, followed by senior Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) walk.

After the Gators’ initial run, the Longhorns knotted the game at one-all after a two-hit second frame, but the Taylor Thom run would be Texas’ only as Coyle and Gammel made it a 3-1 Gator lead in the fourth with the Coyle and Gammel long balls, while adding two in the top of the fifth.

Haeger sent a RBI double to left center to again score S. Fagan, who reached base on a bunt single, for the 4-1 Florida advantage and a Schutte sacrifice fly plated Moultrie for Florida’s fifth run of the afternoon after Moultrie singled and moved to third on Haeger’s double.

The Gators held the Longhorns to just one hit from the fifth inning on to limit any potential scoring opportunities. Rogers fanned three Texas student-athletes in the bottom of the fifth through the seventh inning to contribute to her eight strikeouts on the day. Rogers gave up just four hits and one run, which wasn’t earned, while walking zero and fanning eight.

Florida put up seven hits, to Texas’ four, while Nadia Taylor led the Longhorns with a 2-for-3 performance against the Orange and Blue.

S. Fagan was 2-for-4 for Florida, while five other Gators tallied hits from the top of UF’s lineup all the way to the bottom.

Texas starter Kim Bruins (2-1) was charged the loss after giving up UF’s first three runs on three hits in the first 3.2 innings before Rachel Fox came in for the final 3.1. The duo struck out just five Florida batters, while giving up five earned runs.

Bruns Scores 100th Goal in Record-Breaking 23-5 Victory over Siena

The rain was coming down hard at Donald R. Dizney Stadium, but nothing could stop Ashley Bruns (Ellicott City, Md.), as she became the second Gator in team history to pass the century mark this evening, recording her 100th career goal en route to a school-record eight goals and 11 total points to help lead Florida to its highest goal total ever, defeating the Siena College Saints, 23-5. The win lifts Florida to 3-1, while Siena opens the year, 0-1.

Bruns, Kitty Cullen (Rockville, Md.) and Brittany Dashiell (Bel Air, Md.) were all named to the 2012 Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List earlier this week, and the trio certainly backed up their nominations tonight. Bruns netted eight goals on just nine shots and put up three assists to pass her own school record with 11 points. Fellow All-American Cullen was not far behind, scoring five goals and two assists, and Dashiell had three goals, a draw control and a ground ball.

Gabi Wiegand (Bay Shore, N.Y.) recorded two goals and an assist, Erin Graziano (Mendham, N.J.) notched her first two points of the season with a goal and an assist, and her sister Nicole Graziano (Mendham, N.J.) chipped in a goal as well. Freshmen Shannon Gilroy (Huntington, N.Y.) and Nora Barry (Marcellus, N.Y.) both played strong in the midfield, as Gilroy had two goals and a school-record-tying six draw controls, and Barry notched four ground balls, four draw controls, a goal and an assist. Fellow-rookie Sally Jentis (Ridgewood, N.J.) also tallied four draw controls, leading the Gators to a program-record 23 total.

Kitty Cullen got the Gators off to a hot start, scoring the first two goals of the game with just over two minutes off the clock. Sam Farrell (Millersville, Md.) scooped up a Siena turnover and tossed the ball to Jentis, who drove the ball downfield and flipped it to Cullen for the first goal. Wiegand won the following draw and tossed it straight to Cullen, who shot it in just seven seconds later, marking the fastest a single women’s lacrosse player has scored back-to-back goals in NCAA history.

Shannon Pfohl put Siena on the board just under a minute later, but Dashiell responded with the Gators’ third goal after just 30 more seconds. Less than a minute later, Bruns scored her first goal of the night to join Cullen as the second Gator to reach the century mark in career goals.

Siena’s Deirdre McQuillan fought back at 23:56, faking out the Gators’ defense and finding herself an empty net to cut the Gators’ lead to two. However, UF then exploded to score six goals in less than five minutes to jump out to an early 10-2 lead. 

The Saints mustered three more goals before the end of the half, but went to the locker room trailing, 14-5.

Cara Canington (Bel Air, Md.) replaced Mikey Meagher (Liverpool, N.Y.) in the goal cage after the break, who made three saves in the first half, and went on to make three saves while holding the Saints scoreless through the entire second half.

At 11:30, Nicole Graziano gave Florida its 20th goal of the game, a total UF had not reached since 2010. With 3:03 remaining in the game, Caroline Chesterman (South Nyack, N.Y.) served up Wiegand, as she netted the Gators’ program-record 23rd goal. UF had scored 22 goals twice, both in March of 2010.

Michelle Andreo and Shannon Pfohl each scored two goals for the Saints, and Deirdre McQuillan earned a goal and an assist. Preseason All-MAAC goalkeeper Kristin Concordia made six saves in the complete game.

Gator Softball Splits Day One in California: Tops No. 16/14 Texas A&M, Edged by No. 5/7 Washington

The top-ranked Florida softball team split its opening-day slate at the Cathedral City Classic in Palm Springs, Calif., Thursday, downing No. 16/14 Texas A&M, 6-4, before falling, 5-2, to No. 5/7 Washington in the second game of the afternoon in a hard-fought, back-and-forth battle at the Big League Dreams Sports Complex in Cathedral City.

The Gators moved to 10-1 overall this season and 1-1 against Top-25 opposition on a hot day in Palm Springs, first putting up six runs on five hits against future Southeastern Conference institution Texas A&M. The Orange and Blue scattered its six runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings, limiting the Aggies to just one score through six innings before A&M got a rally going with three runs on five hits to close the gap in the top of the seventh.

Sophomore ace Hannah Rogers (Lake Wales, Fla.) (6-0) earned her sixth victory of the season with a complete-game effort in the circle against the Aggies, allowing four runs on nine hits – five of which came in the seventh – while walking two and fanning seven to give Florida its 10th victory of 2012.

On the other side, Mel Dumezich (4-2) also went the distance, but chalked up the loss for A&M, just her second of the season, after walking seven Gators and giving up six runs on five hits, while fanning six in 6.0 innings of work.

It took both teams nearly two frames to get adjusted offensively, but the Gators struck first on a junior Brittany Schutte (Fountain Valley, Calif.) sac fly with bases loaded to plate freshman Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.), who reached on a base hit, to bring UF ahead, 1-0, in the third.

After three up, three down for both squads in the fourth, and a one-hit effort for the Aggies in the top of the fifth, the Gators came out swinging for a two-hit, four-run scoring splurge in the bottom of the fifth. With S. Fagan leading off and the top of UF’s lineup set to hit, Florida quickly loaded the bags again with a base hit, hit-by-pitch for senior Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) and walk for freshman Lauren Haeger (Peoria, Ariz.). Schutte earned her second RBI of the day with a fielder’s choice that left runners on the corners and took UF up, 2-0, with just one out.

Junior Kelsey Horton (Valrico, Fla.) knocked in UF’s next run on a RBI single to bring Moultrie home, while Horton then advanced to second on a A&M defensive miscue as Schutte was able to get home on the error for  two more Florida runs and the 4-0 advantage. A junior Ensley Gammel (Bakersfield, Calif.) sac fly plated the final Gator run of the inning as UF took a 5-1 lead to the sixth.

A solo shot for Sydney Shannon in the top of the sixth gave the Aggies their second run of the contest, while Moultrie went yard with a long ball of her own in the bottom of the second-to-last frame that took UF ahead, 6-1, heading to the final inning.

A feisty Texas A&M squad got a rally going in the seventh with a three-run, five-hit performance, but Rogers and the Gators prevailed with smart defense for a 6-4 win over their future league rival. S. Fagan led Florida against A&M with a 2-for-4 outing, while Moultrie, Schutte and Horton all tallied hits in the win. Schutte drove in a game-high two RBI, while S. Fagan and Moultrie scored two runs apiece. Haeger drew a game-high three walks, while sophomore Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.) and freshman Katie Medina (Downey, Calif.) proved to have a dominating defensive presence in the infield at shortstop and second, respectively, with three assists apiece. Leadoff hitter Natalie Villarreal led Texas A&M at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance.

In the second game of UF’s challenging Thursday doubleheader, a tough Washington squad battled it out with UF, as the Huskies eventually took home the 5-2 victory, but not before both teams took turns with the lead. In the first meeting between UW and UF since the 2009 WCWS championship series, two veterans familiar with the rivalry helped lead their two teams offensively, as Moultrie was 2-for-4 for the Gators, while Washington leadoff hitter and senior Kimi Pohlman was 2-for-3 at the plate as the Huskies’ offensive force.

Medina and sophomore Kasey Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) were clutch for the Gators at the bottom of the lineup, producing the most when Florida needed it. Both underclassmen went 2-for-3 with one run, while Medina also tallied a RBI on the day and turned the lineup over twice to give UF its chances.

Haeger (3-1) earned the nod in the circle for the Orange and Blue against Washington, taking her first loss of the season after giving up three Husky hits, all five runs – three earned – and fanning five through 5.0 innings of work before moving to first base. Another freshman, Alyssa Bache (Clearwater, Fla.), came on for 2.0 innings of scoreless relief to finish out the afternoon, tallying two strikeouts in her third appearance as a Gator.

Pohlman started the charge for Washington with a leadoff triple, allowing UW to go up early, 1-0, on a Nikia Williams sac fly, but Haeger limited the first-inning scoring to just one run, forcing a pop up to end the first.

After Florida left one on in the first, Haeger rallied defensively by forcing three up, three down situations for the Huskies in both the second and third innings, allowing the Gators to take their first lead of the contest in the bottom of the third for the 2-1 advantage. Fagan led off with a single through the right side and Medina wasted no time with her first triple of the season, Florida’s fifth, to bring Fagan directly home and turn over the Gator lineup. S. Fagan then drove in Medina with a base hit of her own, but two pop ups and a caught-stealing halted UF’s scoring opportunities in the third.

A hitless, scoreless fourth for both teams brought up the fifth inning, where Washington tacked on two more runs to regain the 3-2 lead, first on a Gator defensive error, and then on a one-out Shawna Wright single to right field, resulting in a two-run, one-hit frame for the Huskies. Pinch hitter Taylor Smith then hit into a double play with Coyle at shortstop, who proceeded to tag second and throw to first for the third and final out of the inning.

Florida went down in order in the bottom of the fifth, bringing forth another two-run frame for Washington in the sixth. With the top of UW’s lineup set to bat, Pohlman led off with her second hit of the day and Victoria Hayward drew a walk before the Gators traded Haeger for Bache in the circle. With bases loaded, pitcher Kaitlin Inglesby plated the Huskies’ fourth run on a sac fly, while a Kylee Lahners two-out RBI single proved to be the fifth and final run for Washington before Bache popped Courtney Gano up for the third out of the sixth.

The Gators left two on in the bottom of the sixth before limiting the Huskies to two hits in the top of the seventh, catching one UW student-athlete stealing, to strand two Huskies and diminish any more scoring opportunities. Trailing, 5-2, heading to the bottom of the seventh, Florida had one last shot and Fagan and Medina made the most of the opportunity, rallying for one-out base hits, but a S. Fagan fielder’s choice and a Moultrie fly out gave the Gators their first loss of 2012.

Inglesby picked up her sixth victory of the season for Washington, working a complete-game effort, allowing just two runs on seven Gator hits, while fanning five and walking none.

The Gators will be back in action at 1 p.m. ET Friday for their first-ever meeting with BYU, before re-matching with No. 8 Texas at 3:30 p.m. (ET). The Gators and Longhorns last met in 2011 at the Cathedral City Classic in an extra-innings contest that saw Florida walk away with a 6-5, nine-inning victory from a Moultrie walk-off RBI single.

2012 Gator Gathering Schedule for Head Football Coach Will Muschamp Announced

The University of Florida Alumni Association, in partnership with the University Athletic Association and Gator Boosters, has announced the 2012 Gator Gathering schedule for Head Football Coach Will Muschamp.

Gator Club® volunteers in the area will plan the gatherings which are open to the general public. A fee is required to attend the event. Proceeds from these events enable host Gator Clubs to support numerous academic initiatives at the University of Florida. UF Alumni Association members receive discounted admission.

If you would like to join or renew your membership to the UF Alumni Association, please visit www.ufalumni.ufl.edu/join.

Coach Muschamp will be visiting the following cities:

Gainesville – Thursday, April 19th

Hosted by the Titletown Gator Club®

Daytona Beach – Tuesday, April 24^th

Hosted by the Gator Club® of Volusia County

Jacksonville – Tuesday, May 1^st

Hosted by the Gator Club® of Jacksonville

Sarasota – Thursday, May 3^rd

Hosted by the Sarasota County Gator Club®

Orlando – Tuesday, May 8^th

Hosted by the Central Florida Gator Club®

West Palm Beach – Thursday, May 10^th

Hosted by the Palm Beach County Gator Club®

Lakeland – Tuesday, May 15^th

Hosted by the Polk County Gator Club®

Atlanta – Wednesday, May 16^th

Hosted by the Atlanta Gator Club®

Tampa – Tuesday, May 22nd

Co-Hosted by the Tampa Gator Club® and the Pinellas County Gator Club®

Destin – Thursday, May 24^th

Hosted by the Emerald Coast Gator Club®

Will Muschamp signs Florida contract extension through 2016

Florida has extended the contract of coach Will Muschamp, adding a year to his original five-year deal and securing him through the 2016 season, Sporting News has learned. 

Muschamp’s first Florida team went 7-6, including a Gator Bowl victory over Ohio State. His original contract was a five-year, $13.75 million deal (averaging $2.75 million a year). The one-year extension doesn’t include an increase in salary.

 

The Florida Gators have given Will Muschamp a contract extension through the 2016 season, Sporting News has learned. (AP Photo)

“We’re building something long-term here,” Muschamp said. “We have an incredible amount of support from our administration. On a scale of 1-10, we’re an 11 right now as far as excitement about where we’re headed.”

The Gators just completed a top five recruiting class, continuing the turnover from the Urban Meyer years. Florida played 15 true freshmen last fall, and was one of the youngest teams in the nation.

The Gators begin spring practice March 14, with the focus on the quarterback battle between sophomores Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett.

UF women’s hoops rolls in home finale

As far as home finales go, you couldn’t script one much better than Florida’s 79-45 thrashing of Mississippi State before an O’Connell Center crowd of 1,098 Thursday night.

Coach Amanda Butler’s Gators turned in a dominating performance in putting another win on their NCAA Tournament resume heading into their regular-season finale at No. 10 Tennessee on Sunday.

Florida (18-10, 8-7) scored the first 11 points of the game and never trailed en route to posting its largest margin of victory this season. UF, which led 33-18 at the half, won the rebounding battle 51-29, shot 43.3 percent (29 of 67) from the field while holding the Bulldogs to 30.9 percent (17 of 55), forced 21 MSU turnovers, hit nine 3-pointers, was 12-of-14 (85.7 percent) from the foul line, had a 28-8 edge in points off turnovers, and all 10 UF players scored for the sixth time this season.

And talk about a fitting ending. Butler put her five seniors — Azania Stewart, Jordan Jones, Deana Allen, Ndidi Madu and Lanita Bartley — on the floor for the final 2:08 of the game to allow them to close out their last home game together. During that stretch, Allen hit a 3-pointer, Stewart converted a conventional three-point play to complete her second double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds) of the season, and Jones, who led all scorers with 18 points, capped the Gator scoring for the night with her sixth 3-pointer with 16 seconds left, tying her UF career high. Bartley, meanwhile, picked up two of her game-high five assists with passes to Allen and Jones for their treys.

“This was a really big win for us,” Butler said. “I think it was important for us for a lot of reasons, but more importantly to finish out for these seniors here on their home court in a great fashion. Also, just to have no letdown after the big win on Sunday (upset of No. 18 Georgia), to really just show a lot of maturity and poise going forward.”

“Everyone on the team is spending more time in the gym than any time since I’ve been here,” Jones said. “Our coaches are getting down there with us. We’re shooting 100 free throws a day and getting a lot of shots up with our position coaches.”

Junior forward Jennifer George, UF’s leading scorer and rebounder and All-SEC candidate, finished with 12 points and grabbed eight boards despite being the focus of the MSU defense.

Sophomore Jaterra Bonds scored nine points, Allen had seven, and Madu scored six points and added nine rebounds.

“This is how we like to win,” Butler said. “We shot the ball well from the free throw line, we won the rebounding battle convincingly, had great balance, had more assists than turnovers – you know, this is what we want our box score to look like. It’s going to be really important to produce a box score that looks similar to this on our next trip.”

Senior guard Porsha Porter was the lone bright spot for the Bulldogs (14-14, 4-11) with 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field.

Prior to the game, Butler presented MSU coach Sharon Fanning-Otis with flowers and the crowd gave her a nice ovation as her coaching resume was read aloud. The 36-year veteran, one of just 14 coaches with 600 or more career wins, announced Monday she is retiring at the end of the season.

Afterward, Butler was feeling flowery about UF’s NCAA chances.

“If it’s an at-large selection, there’s no question in my mind that we should be there,” she said. “The other part about that that’s great is there are still opportunities and games to play, and that’s what we’ve got to be focused on.”

 
“Do I know if this team deserves it or is in that top echelon of teams in the country? There’s not a doubt in my mind. We need to go out Sunday and prove that even more and go to the SEC Tournament after that and prove it again.”

Top-ranked Florida baseball blanks No. 19 UCF

What started out as a potential rainout turned into a perfect storm for the nation's No. 1 baseball team Wednesday night.

Making his first career start, sophomore right-hander Jonathon Crawford pitched five shutout innings, senior Preston Tucker tied Brad Wilkerson's school record for career RBIs (214) with a home run, and the Florida Gators rolled to an 8-0 victory over the No. 19 Central Florida Knights at McKethan Stadium.

The victory improves the Gators to 4-1 on the young season, while UCF drops its first game after opening with three consecutive victories.

Anyone who saw Crawford get knocked around so badly out of the bullpen in a loss to Cal-State Fullerton on Sunday would not have recognized him. In that appearance, Crawford could not get anybody out. In one-third of an inning, he gave up five hits, four earned runs and walked a batter.

As a result, he came into Wednesday night's game with an earned-run average of 108.00. Yes, 108.00.

But he was practically unhittable against the Knights — and very much in control. He pitched four hitless innings before giving up an infield single on a weak grounder in the fifth.

“The people in our locker room know the jumps that (Crawford) has made,” UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. “He certainly earned his start. I'm really pleased for him.

“I told him after the game on Sunday that I thought he threw the ball well. It was unfortunate some balls found the hole. I told him he was going to get the ball again Wednesday. If tonight hadn't gone as well as he had wanted, he would have gone right back out there this weekend.

“He's got too good of an arm, he's too talented. I've seen it enough in practice, in the fall and the spring, to believe and know it's going to show up.”

It showed up big Wednesday night. Crawford was in control of all three of his pitches, especially an improved slider, and wasn't hit hard until he gave up a single to left in the fifth.

In five innings of work, Crawford gave up only two hits, struck out four and walked three.

His performance did not surprise anyone in the UF dugout.

“He's got some of the best stuff I've ever seen,” Tucker said.

And it appears he's starting to gain command of it.

“I just tried to throw strikes, keep the ball low and get ahead of the hitters,” Crawford said. “It wasn't too hard (coming off Sunday's game). I just didn't have much luck. They hit one ball hard off me.

“(Wednesday's performance) feels great. It gives me a lot of confidence to go into the next outing.”

The Gator lineup did its part to take the pressure off Crawford early. UF scored single runs in the first and second innings, then put up a three-run spot in the third to give Crawford a 5-0 cushion.

After the fifth, O'Sullivan went to the bullpen, and Daniel Gibson, Bobby Poyner and Ryan Harris preserved the shutout.

“The bullpen was really good,” O'Sullivan said. “It was good to get Daniel out there, great to get Bobby Poyner out there on back-to-back nights, and good to finally get Harris out there.

“They battled. They'll get better as they go along.”

The Gators had 10 hits, but perhaps the biggest blow of the night came when Tucker led off the fifth with a line-drive homer to right on the first pitch to tie Wilkerson with 214 career RBIs.

“It was just a fastball down in the zone,” Tucker said. “I barrelled up and hit it about as good as I could.”

Tucker also had the game's defensive highlight — a fully extended diving catch in right in the seventh inning.

 
“At first I didn't think I was going to get to that ball,” he said. “It hung up there just enough where I realized I could get to it. It just worked out pretty well.”

UF spring football practice starts March 14

Florida coach Will Muschamp will open two days of spring practice to the public this year.

The Gators' spring drills begin March 14. The open practices will be Friday, March 16 (4:25-6:35 p.m.) and Saturday, March 17 (12:55-3 p.m.).

Spring practice concludes April 7 with the Orange & Blue Debut at 1 p.m. in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Students, Gator Boosters, Alumni Association members and F Club members all receive free admission to the spring game. A limited supply of free tickets is also available at Florida Farm Bureau agents' offices. Tickets are available for $5 in the Gator ticket office at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium or can be ordered online at GatorZone.com/tickets.

No. 1 UF Baseball Edges Bethune-Cookman, 8-6

Senior Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) delivered a bases-loaded RBI single to snap a 6-6 tie in the eighth and junior Brian Johnson (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) added a sacrifice fly later in the inning to lift No. 1 Florida (3-1) to an 8-6 win over Bethune-Cookman (2-2) on Tuesday night at McKethan Stadium.

Junior Austin Maddox (Jacksonville, Fla.) (1-0) threw two scoreless innings to earn the victory, junior Mike Zunino (Cape Coral, Fla.) (2-for-3) belted solo homers in the second and seventh frames and junior Cody Dent (Boynton Beach, Fla.) went 3-for-3 to help the Gators improve to 26-0 against the Wildcats.

“They’re a Regional-type club,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “We’ve seen enough to know over the years how tough it is to play Bethune, but once again we threw a lot of young pitchers tonight. It’s a good learning experience and we’ll learn from it and get better from it.”

Bethune-Cookman grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI triple by senior Alejandro Sanchez. Making his starting debut, freshman Johnny Magliozzi (East Milton, Mass.) battled back from a 3-0 count to catch sophomore leadoff batter Josh Johnson looking on strikes and junior Brandon Turner followed with a single up the middle. Sanchez drove in Turner with a triple into the right-field corner and junior David Lee drew a walk for runners on the corners with one down. Magliozzi had senior Brashad Johnson fly out and freshman Jordan Taylor ground out to hold the deficit at a run.

Zunino tied the game in the second with a leadoff homer off sophomore Scott Garner. His first round-tripper of the season landed in the left-field bleachers and raised his hitting streak to eight games.

The Gators plated three runs on four hits in the third to build a 4-1 lead. Making his first start of the season at third base, Dent opened the frame with a base-hit but was erased at second base on a fielder’s choice by junior Nolan Fontana (Winter Garden, Fla.). Senior Daniel Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.) (2-for-4, two runs) moved Florida in front with his first double of the season that scored Fontana all the way from first base. Zunino drew a two-out walk for runners on the corners and Johnson’s single into right field scored Pigott and moved Zunino to third. Freshman Taylor Gushue (Boca Raton, Fla.) (2-for-5) legged out an infield single that brought home Zunino.

The Wildcats countered with two runs on three hits in the fourth to close the gap to 4-3. Taylor (4-for-5) began the inning with a single into left field and senior Nick Johnson (2-for-5) doubled to put the Wildcats in business. An RBI grounder by senior Jairo Acevedo scored Taylor and junior Carlos Delgado stroked a base-knock into center field to bring across Johnson. A grounder by Josh Johnson advanced Delgado into scoring position and prompted a pitching change. Freshman Bobby Poyner (Wellington, Fla.) replaced Magliozzi (3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K) and induced an inning-ending grounder by Turner to keep the Gators ahead.  

UF took advantage of a bases-loaded wild pitch in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-3 lead. Consecutive singles by senior Tyler Thompson (Tequesta, Fla.) and Dent ended the night for Garner (3.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R) in the fourth. Fontana moved his teammates into scoring position with his first of three sacrifice bunts off sophomore Bryan Rivera and Pigott walked to load the bases with one down. The reliever had Tucker pop out in foul territory but then had an errant pitch that allowed Thompson to come in for a 5-3 score. Although Zunino collected his second walk of the contest to re-load the bases, Rivera had Johnson ground out to end the inning.   

After Poyner retired the first two batters of the inning, Brashad Johnson homered with two down in the fifth for a 5-4 margin. It was the Wildcats’ first four-bagger of the season and went to left field.  

Freshman Justin Shafer (Lake Wales, Fla.) replaced Poyner (1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R) and set down Bethune-Cookman in order on seven pitches in the sixth.

Taylor roped a two-out, two-run double in the seventh to give the Wildcats a 6-5 lead. Shafer recorded the first two outs before Lee singled up the middle and Brashad Johnson had a base-hit through the left side of the infield. Taylor’s double to deep center plated both of his teammates and another single by Nick Johnson left runners on the corners and prompted a call to the bullpen. Senior Greg Larson (Longwood, Fla.) took over for Shafer (1.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R) and walked Acevedo to load the bases. Fontana made a diving stop on a grounder by Delgado and fired a strike to first base to hold the score at 6-5.

“They’ve always had a knack, over the last couple of years, to have some come-alive two-out RBIs,” O’Sullivan said. “I don’t think we have played a clean game yet. We have not obviously played our best baseball, but on the same token we’re playing a lot of new, young guys. We’re getting a lot of experience and we’ll get better as we go along.”

Zunino tied the game again in the bottom of the inning with his second homer of the night, an opposite-field shot over the right-field fence. The 2011 SEC Player of the Year also had a couple of dingers against Bethune-Cookman last season. Oddly enough, all five of Florida’s homers this season have been of the solo variety.

Josh Johnson opened the eighth with an infield single and Maddox replaced Larson (0.1 IP, 1 H) on the mound. Turner laid down a bunt to push his teammate into scoring position and Maddox responded by having Sanchez fly out and Lee strike out looking.

Junior Gabriel Hernandez (0-1) replaced Rivera (4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R) on the bump and surrendered a leadoff single to Dent, who notched his career-best third hit of the night. An attempted sacrifice bunt by Fontana resulted in a fielder’s choice, as Dent was safe on the throw to second base and Fontana occupied first. A bunt single by Pigott filled the sacks with none out for Tucker, who put Florida ahead with an RBI single off junior reliever Jordan Dailey that scored Dent. Although a grounder by Zunino forced Fontana at home with the first out, a sacrifice fly by Johnson enabled Pigott’s run to give UF an 8-6 lead.

Bethune-Cookman put a pair of runners aboard in the ninth but Maddox struck out Delgado to end the game. The Wildcats had a 14-13 advantage in hits and neither team committed any errors.