With fewer than 24 hours separating Florida’s first and final game of the series against Georgia, the Gators’ bats came on strong Saturday and stayed hot through Sunday’s afternoon contest.
Florida (27-13, 12-6 Southeastern Conference) sealed its first three-game series sweep against Georgia (21-18-1, 7-10-1 SEC) since 2010 with its 10-3 victory on Sunday. Given a 7-1 lead after just two innings, sophomore Danny Young held the Bulldogs in check until the sixth inning when relievers Justin Shafer and A.J. Puk took the reigns and sealed the win.
“I think the tone was set early on today,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said after UF captured its sixth straight victory. “I’m really pleased that we followed up the first inning with a really good second inning. That offensively distanced us a little bit early.”
Despite the lopsided score, the game was actually a comeback for the Gators, who were quickly in the hole after the Bulldogs knocked around Young in the first for a run off two hits.
Florida answered immediately behind Harrison Bader’s two-RBI triple and Braden Mattson’s sacrifice fly. With the score now 3-1 in Young’s advantage, the sophomore southpaw settled down and breezed through the second frame with two strikeouts and a nifty defensive stop of his own.
For the next three innings, Young allowed one more run off five hits and no walks. Although O’Sullivan said Young’s eight total hits in five innings of work was too much, he said he was pleased that his defense could help limit the runs while his offense provided plenty at the plate.
Bader plated Florida’s first two runs of the game with a two-RBI triple in the first then added to his day the very next frame by recording an RBI single. The sophomore center fielder finished the day 3 for 3 with a season-high three RBIs, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
Bader, who was 1 for 7 in the previous two games against the Bulldogs, said with how often slumps are a part of the game, it is important to learn how to rebound and recover in time for the next matchup.
“I was having a tough weekend during the first couple of games, but I was just trying to find some barrel and go up and help the team any way I can,” Bader said.
Casey Turgeon chipped in offensively as well by going 2 for 4 with two RBIs coming off a fifth-inning homer.
The Gators’ leadoff hitter scored all three times he reached base Sunday after only finding the basepaths twice over the first games of the series.
“It was a tough turnaround today,” the junior second baseman said.
“We had two games yesterday, but we came out and played a good game today.”
The 21 total runs over the weekend are the most the Gators have had all season in a three-game series. And although the scoreboard indicates Florida had two errors, O’Sullivan still said he was pleased with the defensive effort after the Gators recorded four double plays to help bail out their pitchers.
The Bulldogs managed to outhit the Gators 14-10 on Sunday and 17-15 in the first two games Saturday, but they also left 24 runners on base compared to the Gators’ 15 stranded players.
“You’ve got a chance to win three games, that doesn’t happen very often,” O’Sullivan said. “You’ve got to play good baseball and you’ve got to treat each game differently and you can never be satisfied because the league is usually won or lost by one game.”
Follow Jonathan Czupryn on Twitter @jczupryn
Outfielder Harrison Bader bats during Florida’s 4-0 win against Ole Miss on March 31, 2013, at McKethan Stadium.
