Senior Preston Tucker's three-run home run in the bottom of the
third inning erased an early 2-0 FSU lead and No. 1 Florida went on to
post a 9-2 win over No. 6 Florida State before a record McKethan Stadium
crowd of 6,005 Tuesday night.
The previous mark was 5,930, set last year against FSU.
Tucker
lined a one-out, 2-2 pitch from FSU reliever Scott Sitz into the
Seminole bullpen in right-center, and the Gators (16-1), who got their
leadoff batter on base in all eight innings, added single runs in the
fourth, sixth and seventh before capping the night with three in the
eighth to win their 14th game in a row.
The streak ties the all-time UF mark set in 2001 and first equaled in 2004.
Gator
relievers Greg Larson, Steven Rodriguez, Daniel Gibson and Austin
Maddox combined to hold FSU scoreless over the final 6 1/3 innings on
just two hits, with Larson (3-0) picking up the win and Maddox earning
his team-high sixth save.
Sitz (1-1) took the loss for the Seminoles, who had a 10-game winning streak ended in dropping to 14-2.
