Florida junior Mike Zunino (Cape
Coral, Fla.) delivered a game-winning double in the 11th inning that scored
redshirt freshman Connor Mitchell (Tampa, Fla.) all the way from first
base as the fifth-ranked Gators (36-13) edged North Florida (28-21), 4-3, on
Tuesday night at McKethan Stadium.
Mitchell, who had entered the game as a pinch
runner in the seventh inning, began the decisive frame with a single into right
field off Osprey senior Andrew Karmeris (0-2). Mitchell’s second hit of the
campaign set the stage for Zunino (3-for-5, two RBI) and the All-American
responded by sending a 2-2 pitch into the left-field corner that enabled
Mitchell to slide home with the winning run. Zunino’s second double of the
night marked the first walk-off hit by a Gator since Nolan Fontana
(Winter Garden, Fla.) had a base-hit in the ninth to defeat Miami (Fla.), 5-4,
in the NCAA Gainesville Regional on June 4, 2011.
“This time of year, any time you get a win you
have to feel good about it,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “I
thought our pitching was really good. Keenan Kish did an outstanding job - he
came in and once again threw four innings with no runs. [Greg] Larson came in
and did his thing. Paco [Steven Rodriguez] came in and had a couple of big
strikeouts with bases loaded. I thought that Ryan Harris did a good job, too.
Overall, I thought our pitching was good. Obviously, we still have some things
to correct and improve on, but the most important thing is that we got the win
tonight. It was good to see Connor Mitchell get a hit in the bottom half of the
11th inning and lead it off for Mike [Zunino].”
Freshman Ryan Harris (Jupiter, Fla.)
(2-0) picked up the win by hurling a scoreless 11th and the Gator bullpen
surrendered one run over 8.1 innings of work, led by four shutout frames by
sophomore Keenan Kish (Worcester, Pa.) and 2.2 hitless and scoreless
frames by junior Steven Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.). North Florida had tied
the game in the eighth stanza on a one-out double by sophomore Alex Bacon
(3-for-4, two RBI). The teams combined for 27 hits, with UF having a 14-13
advantage, and the teams stranded 26 runners.
Florida threatened in the first inning
against UNF southpaw Tommy Organ but came away empty-handed. Fontana (2-for-4) led
off with a double into right field after a 10-pitch at bat and went to third on
a fly ball to right field by freshman Josh Tobias (Greensboro, N.C.)
(2-for-4). Senior Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) popped up to shortstop
and Zunino flew out to left field to end the inning.
Karmeris began the second inning with a
single into left center off freshman Johnny Magliozzi (East Milton,
Mass.) but was gunned down trying to steal second by Zunino. Bacon followed
with his sixth homer of the season into the left-field bleachers to begin the
scoring.
The Gators answered with a two-out RBI double
by freshman Justin Shafer (Lake Wales, Fla.) (2-for-3) in the home part
of the frame to even the score. Junior Brian Johnson (Cocoa Beach, Fla.)
opened the inning with a single through the right side of the infield but was
forced at second base on a fielder’s choice by senior Daniel Pigott
(Ormond Beach, Fla.) (2-for-5). Pigott moved into scoring position with his
fourth stolen base and took third on a grounder by freshman Casey Turgeon
(Palm Harbor, Fla.) before Shafer rifled his fifth double into the left-field
corner to bring home Pigott.
North Florida re-claimed the lead in the
third inning on a two-out RBI single by sophomore Tyler Marincov (2-for-5). Senior
T.J. Gavlik (2-for-6) singled up the middle to begin the stanza and was
sacrificed to second by junior Joe Wielbruda (2-for-5). A fly ball near the
warning track in right field by sophomore Ryan Roberson (2-for-5) pushed Gavlik
to third and Marincov put the Ospreys on top with a base-hit into left field. Kish
replaced Magliozzi (2.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R) and had Karmeris fly out to center field.
Zunino delivered a game-tying double with two
down in the bottom of the inning to score Tucker. Tobias had a one-out infield
single but was erased on a fielder’s choice by Tucker. Zunino collected his
SEC-leading 20th double into the gap in right center.
Junior Nick Allbritton took over for Organ
(3.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R) prior to the Gator fourth and retired the side in order.
Junior Corey Bass started the fifth with a
base-hit into center field and Tobias made a tremendous stop at third base on a
ball hit by Gavlik and fired to Turgeon covering second base to get the lead
runner. Kish had a grounder by Wielbruda force Gavlik at second base for the
second out and Roberson followed with a single into left field. However, Shafer
gunned down Wielbruda trying to take third to complete the frame.
Fontana provided the hosts with their first
lead of the night in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff homer off of the
scoreboard overlooking right field. It was his ninth round-tripper of the season
and first since April 24 against USF.
Kish recorded the first two outs in the
seventh before yielding a single up the middle to Gavlik. Over four innings,
which matched his career high set against Arkansas on April 28, Kish scattered
four hits and registered three strikeouts. Senior Greg Larson (Longwood,
Fla.) was summoned from the bullpen and Wielbruda legged out an infield single
for a pair of Ospreys aboard before the reliever had Roberson hit a comebacker
to the mound to end the inning.
Tucker had a two-out double in the seventh,
his 13th two bagger of the season that brought him within three hits of
breaking Mark Ellis’ career mark of 319. Zunino was walked intentionally by senior
Evan Stermer and the move paid off when the reliever had Johnson go down
swinging on strikes to preserve UNF’s 3-2 deficit.
Marincov greeted sophomore Jonathon
Crawford (Okeechobee, Fla.) with a single to open the eighth and stole
second base. The righty answered with a strikeout of Karmeris and Bacon tied
the game with a double down the left-field line. Rodriguez fanned senior
Michael Wesner and had freshman Drew Weeks fly out to keep the game tied.
In the bottom of the inning, Pigott stroked a
leadoff single off senior reliever Chandler Jagodzinski and Turgeon drew a four-pitch
walk to put the Gators in business. Shafer laid down his first sacrifice bunt of
the season to move both runners into scoring position and a fielder’s choice by
junior Vickash Ramjit (Miami, Fla.) resulted in Pigott being thrown out
at the plate after a run-down, Turgeon occupying third and Ramjit taking second
base. An intentional walk to Fontana loaded the bases and Jagodzinski struck
out senior pinch hitter Jeff Moyer (Winter Springs, Fla.) to send the
game to the ninth deadlocked at three runs apiece.
After Zunino had a one-out single into left
center field and stole second with two down in the ninth, Pigott hit a sinking liner
to right field that Marcinov snared with a great catch to send the contest into
extra innings.
The Ospreys loaded the bases with one down in
the 10th but were foiled by back-to-back strikeouts by Rodriguez. Marincov
reached on a fielding error by Moyer with one down and a throwing error to
second base by Rodriguez on a fielder’s choice by Andrew Karmeris left UNF with
runners on the corners. An intentional free pass to Bacon filled the bags and Rodriguez
struck out both junior pinch hitter Paul Karmeris and Weeks.
Freshman Jamie Cardwell came in for
Jagodzinski (2.0 IP, 2 H) and issued a leadoff walk to Turgeon. Shafer moved
his teammate into scoring position with his second sacrifice hit of the night and
North Florida brought Andrew Karmeris to the mound from first base. The righty
fanned Ramjit and walked Fontana intentionally for two Gators aboard. Moyer
popped up to the catcher to keep the stalemate.
After Rodriguez worked 2.2 scoreless and
hitless innings, Harris took over to start the 11th. The righty had two fly
balls to right field before Wielbruda beat out a single to extend the inning. Harris
struck out Cardwell to complete the frame.
