No. 1 Florida (24-3/6-2 SEC) used a six-run
eighth inning, highlighted by a tie-breaking, three-run homer by junior Vickash
Ramjit (Miami, Fla.), to even its weekend series at No. 16 Ole Miss
(19-8/4-4 SEC), 9-4, in front of a season-high crowd of 10,064 fans on Saturday
afternoon at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.
Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan picked up
his 200th career victory to become the fastest Gator baseball coach to reach
that plateau. The fifth-year skipper is now 200-85 (.702) and reached the mark
in 20 fewer games than Joe Arnold, who was 434-244-2 (.640) in 11
seasons from 1984-94.
After being limited to a season-low three
hits on Friday night, the Gators banged out 17 hits, including a season-high
seven doubles, to match their highest output in a game this year. Senior Daniel
Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.) (3-for-6, two runs), Ramjit (3-for-5, three
RBI, two runs) and freshman Casey Turgeon (Palm Harbor, Fla.) (3-for-5)
each had three hits as eight of nine UF starters chipped in with at least one. Freshman
Johnny Magliozzi (East Milton, Mass.) improved to 4-0 by having the
Rebels leave the bases loaded in the seventh when they led by a run.
Trailing 3-2 entering the eighth, Florida
erupted for six runs on six hits in the stanza by sending 10 batters to the
plate. Junior Austin Maddox (Jacksonville, Fla.) led off with a single
into right field off junior Dylan Chavez (3-1) and junior Nolan Fontana
(Winter Garden, Fla.) poked a double into left center for two Gators in scoring
position. Turgeon came through with a game-tying single into center field that
brought across Maddox. Ramjit moved the visitors in front with a three-run jack
to left field, his third big fly of the season, all coming in SEC play. Freshman
Justin Shafer (Lake Wales, Fla.) drew a walk from freshman reliever Sam
Smith and Pigott collected his third hit of the day with an infield single
before senior Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) (2-for-4) smoked an RBI
double down the right-field line to score Shafer for a four-run lead. Freshman Taylor
Gushue (Boca Raton, Fla.) (1-for-3, two RBI) expanded the Gators’ margin to
8-3 with a sacrifice fly into right field off junior reliever Tanner Bailey.
