Samford sophomore C.K. Irby
limited No. 3 Florida (38-15) to one run and one hit over five innings and the
nation’s home-run leader, senior Brandon Miller (2-for-4), belted a pair of
two-run homers as the Bulldogs (34-19) notched a 12-7 victory on Tuesday night
at Joe Lee Griffin Field. For the Gators, senior Preston Tucker (Tampa,
Fla.) was 2-for-3 to match Mark Ellis’ school-record total of 319 career hits.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 3-0
lead in the first inning on a bases-loaded, two-out triple by Irby (2-for-5)
off of freshman Johnny Magliozzi (East Milton, Mass.) (4-3). Senior Brad
Moss singled through the left side with one out and sophomore Phillip Ervin
(2-for-4, two runs) singled into center field with two down before Miller drew
a free pass to fill the bags. Irby helped his own cause with a triple to deep
center field that gave Bulldogs a three-run cushion.
A two-run homer by junior Zeth
Stone over the right-field wall in the second inning moved the hosts ahead by a
5-0 count. Sophomore Tyler Filliben (3-for-3) legged out a bunt single up the
third-base line with one down and Stone followed with his first round-tripper
of the season. Consecutive two-out singles by Saxon Butler (2-for-4) and Ervin
ended the night for Magliozzi (1.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R). Freshman Ryan Harris
(Jupiter, Fla.) caught Miller looking on strikes to end the frame.
Freshman Taylor Gushue
(Boca Raton, Fla.) drew a one-out walk from Irby in the third and stole his
first career base to move into scoring position. Irby responded by having
junior Nolan Fontana (Winter Garden, Fla.) and Tucker each fly out.
Miller belted his 19th of the
campaign with Butler aboard in the fourth for a 7-0 margin. Butler was hit by a
pitch with one out and Miller delivered a round-tripper to left field.
Senior Jeff Moyer (Winter
Springs, Fla.) began the fifth with the Gators’ first hit, a double to left
field. A grounder by freshman Josh Tobias (Greensboro, N.C.) pushed
Moyer to third and Gushue put the visitors on the board with an RBI grounder to
second base.
Redshirt junior Christiaan
Durdaller was plunked by Harris (2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 K) to start the bottom of
the stanza, bringing sophomore Keenan Kish (Worcester, Pa.) into the
contest. Filliben collected his third hit of the night with a base-knock into
left center to drive in his teammate for an 8-1 count.
After Irby worked five strong
innings, Tucker greeted senior Joseph Burns in the sixth with a single into
left field, bringing him within one of tying Ellis’ school standard. When junior
Brian Johnson (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) was hit by a pitch with one down,
freshman Andreas Gracia replaced Burns. Senior Daniel Pigott’s (Ormond
Beach, Fla.) grounder was misplayed by second baseman Stone to load the bases
with one out and freshman Justin Shafer (Lake Wales, Fla.) brought home
Tucker with a sacrifice fly to straightaway center field for an 8-2 deficit.
Gracia had Moyer ground out to second base to complete the inning.
Miller connected on his second
dinger of the night with two down in the home part of the inning for a 10-2 score.
Ervin was hit by a pitch and moved into scoring position with his team-leading
14th theft before Miller ripped his 20th homer over the left-field wall.
Junior Mike Zunino (Cape
Coral, Fla.) brought the Gators within 10-5 in the seventh with a towering
three-run blast into the trees overlooking left field. Fontana had drawn a
two-out walk from Gracia and Tucker smashed a hard single to equal Ellis’
standard that has stood since 1999. Zunino cranked a 1-0 pitch out of the yard
for his team-leading 14th homer, the second-straight contest that he has gone
deep. Junior Sean Handlan came in for Gracia (1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R) and issued a
four-pitch walk to Johnson. Senior Tyler Vanderheiden was summoned from the
bullpen and Pigott (2-for-4) moved Johnson over with a single through the right
side of the infield. The reliever had Shafer fly out after a long at bat to
strand the runners and keep the Bulldogs up by five runs.
Kish worked two innings, allowing
three hits and two runs, and sophomore Daniel Gibson (Lutz, Fla.) took
the hill prior to Samford’s seventh at bat. Junior Tommy Corbin (2-for-5) led
off with a single into right field, went to second on a wild pitch and Filliben
walked for two runners aboard. Stone executed a sacrifice bunt to advance his
teammates into scoring position and Moss was walked intentionally to load the
bases with one down. Butler delivered a two-run single for a 12-5, bringing
freshman Bobby Poyner (Wellington, Fla.) to the mound for Gibson (0.1
IP, 2 H, 2 R). The southpaw worked out of the jam by having Ervin pop out and
Miller foul out to Zunino.
Florida plated two runs in the
ninth on a run-scoring double by Johnson and an RBI single by Pigott to finalize
the 12-7 margin. Tucker walked with one down against junior Arthur Strauss and
advanced to second on a grounder by redshirt freshman pinch hitter Connor
Mitchell (Tampa, Fla.). Johnson’s 10th two-bagger of the year scored Tucker
and he was replaced by sophomore pinch runner Jonathon Crawford
(Okeechobee, Fla.), who advanced to third base on a passed ball and came in on
an infield hit by Pigott.
