GAME OVER
Travis Lawler comes in for the Gators and finishes off the Saints in three batters.
It was a great opening weekend for UF (3-0) as they swept Siena and saw plenty of offense. UF scored 27 runs, an average of nine runs per game this weekend. The new coaching staff has to be happy with that.
FInal score: UF 13, Siena 6
END EIGHTH
UF cushions its lead with another run off a Brandon McArthur groundout.
With three outs to go, the Gators have a comfortable 13-6 lead.
MID EIGHTH
Josh Edmondson and Tony Davis combined to end the Saints' eighth inning. This one seems all but wrapped up, as UF holds a six-run lead with only defensive outs to record.
It's 12-6 going into the bottom of the eighth.
END SEVENTH
UF added another run to its total in the seventh. Freshman Evan Chambers scored on a single from Jonathan Pigott. So far, the Gators have scored in every inning but the second. That kind of consistent offense will get you wins on most days.
UF leads 12-6 heading into the eighth inning.
MID SEVENTH
Edmondson got into trouble fast in the seventh inning, giving up a single, a walk, and hitting a batter to load the bases before recording his first out.
Edmondson was erratic and failed to find the strike zone, but was bailed out by an amazing play from Jon Townsend at third. With the bases loaded, Siena hit a ball just inside the foul line. Townsend ran to his right, made a grab on a bounce, ran to step on third and threw to first in time to make the double play. It was a bang-bang play at first that went in UF's favor.
UF is leading 11-6 still, and it could be much worse for the Gators at this point.
END SIXTH
Who needs bunting when you can hit a double to the gap? After failing to bunt on consecutive pitches, Avery Barnes smacked a double to give UF runners at second and third with one out. The speedy Barnes probably could have made it to third on the play, but Hampton Tignor couldn't score from first.
Clayton Pisani got Tignor home with a sacrifice fly, giving UF a three-run lead again. Brandon McArthur then got his first hit of the game, scoring Barnes from third. McArthur has five RBI in this opening series, and he looks to be in mid-season form.
The Gators followed up McArthur's single by scoring again on a wild pitch. Seems pretty ironic, considering Siena got three runs on wild pitches just 15 minutes ago.
The Gators are up 11-6 after six innings. The close game isn't so close anymore.
MID SIXTH
UF committed its first error of the season this half-inning, with Cole Figueroa throwing the ball too high for McArthur to handle at first base.
Tommy Toledo's day is over after five innings. He have five strikeouts and five hits, giving up two earned runs and two walks.
Cody Barnes came in to pitch and promptly gave up a walk and a single to give Siena its third run of the game. Siena three more times on three wild pitches with the bases loaded before O'Sullivan yanked Barnes. In total, Barnes threw four wild pitches. Maybe they should have left Toledo in.
Josh Edmondson came in to finish off the inning in one pitch.
UF still leads 8-6, but all of a sudden we have a ball game. Barnes single-handedly put Siena back in this one.
END FIFTH
Matt den Dekker is officially on notice. Freshman Josh Adams hit his second home run of the game, this time a solo shot. It was the first time anyone at UF had hit two home runs in a game since May 18, 2007 when Avery Barnes and Cole Figueroa each had two homers against Tennessee.
Adams certainly looks comfortable at the plate.
UF is up 8-2 through five innings.
MID FIFTH
A leadoff four-pitch walk caused some concern for Toledo, but he got out of the inning quickly. He really does look good in his first start and last inning's two-run shot didn't seem to faze him in the fifth.
Cole Figueroa was injured on a hard slide into second base on a double play, but he got up and finished the inning.
UF leads 7-2 with half the game complete.
END FOURTH
Have I mentioned Coach O'Sullivan likes to steal? The Gators pulled off their second double steal of the game this inning, enabling catcher Hampton Tignor to score from third on a sacrifice fly. Tignor got on base with his first hit of the season, then moved over to second on a Avery Barnes single.
Siena put in a new pitcher at the start of this inning, but he got into trouble quickly.
UF got back some of the two runs it gave up last inning, and now leads 7-2.
MID FOURTH
Siena launched itself back into this game with a two-run home run off Toledo. Toledo didn't panic, however, and got the next two outs quickly, one on a simple groundout and the other on his fifth strikeout.
Siena got two, but UF is still ahead by a 6-2 margin.
END THIRD
Clayton Pisani started a UF rally with a leadoff double.
Josh Adams ended it.
The freshman center fielder hit a grand slam just over the left-center field wall, giving the Gators a six-run lead. The freshman is only starting in place of normal center fielder Matt den Dekker, but he might have to watch his back if Adams keeps that up.
UF leads 6-0 after three.
MID THIRD
The third was Toledo's first great inning. The freshman struck out two Saints and got another to ground out on the first pitch. Toledo is settling down nicely.
With the Gators coming up to bat, they lead 2-0.
END SECOND
Nothing doing for UF in the second inning. Two fly outs and a strikeout end the frame. Stiena's starter seems to have calmed down from the first inning.
UF leads 2-0 after two.
MID SECOND
Another average inning from Toledo, who induces a fly out, gets his second strikeout of the game but then gives up two straight two-out singles. Still, he got the next batter to fly out to center field. Toledo will give up hits all day though, if the Saints can't turn them into runs.
The Gators seem to be in good shape today, taking their 2-0 lead to the bottom of the second.
END FIRST
Kevin O'Sullivan's base-stealing strategy is certainly paying dividends early in the season. After Clayton Pisani singled to get on, he stole second. Cole Figueroa drove him home with a single of his own. This is exactly what O'Sullivan has been preaching. Small ball, singles, stolen bases, and run production.
Figueroa stole a base of his own thereafter, and moved to third on a wild pitch. Siena's starter, Craig Marcellus, appears rattled. He walked Brandon McArthur on four straight pitches, then gave up his second run on a fielder's choice to Jon Townsend.
UF stole a total of three bases in the inning and leads 2-0 after one.
MID FIRST
Toledo didn't have the best first inning possible, giving up a leadoff single and walking a batter, but he made it out unscathed. Jon Townsend started a great 5-4-3 double play to give Toledo his first two outs and he got the third by himself, striking out Siena's cleanup batter. Toledo looked happy with his first career strikeout.
UF and Siena tied at zeros after half an inning.
PRE-GAME
My laptop is burning up. The first row of the press box is sticking out into the hot noon sun, and I'm concerned that the cooling fan in my computer won't be able to stop the it from exploding.
Freshman Evan Chambers gets a start at designated hitter today, and freshman pitcher Tommy Toledo takes the mound for the Gators. There's be a lot of hype around Toledo, and we'll finally get to see how his 9-2, 1.01 ERA high school stats translate to the college game.
