There were lots of fireworks in coach Kevin O'Sullivan's debut as the Gators' baseball coach.
Down five runs entering the bottom of the second, the Gators rallied to pull out a 10-7 win against Siena.
Starting pitcher Kyle Mullaney had a rough outing in his debut as the ace of UF's staff.
The sophomore pitched just three innings, allowing six runs off nine hits with just three strikeouts.
Mullaney struggled with his control the entire night and fell behind in the count on multiple occasions.
O'Sullivan expects Mullaney to bounce back after a week of hard work.
"He's had one tough outing, he'll be fine," O'Sullivan said. "I don't doubt that for a second."
Third baseman Jon Townsend sparked the Gators comeback in the second inning. Designated hitter Bryson Barber drew a walk to start the inning and Townsend, who finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, blasted a 3-1 pitch over the left field wall.
"He came up clutch right there," first baseman Brandon McArthur said. "It was just chipping away. Being down five, we don't have to score five. It wasn't that late in the game so we were just chipping away and luckily we were able to come out on top."
Billy Bullock, who had been beaten out of one of the top three starting positions, was impressive in relief of Mullaney.
The sophomore allowed just one run and three hits in six innings of work.
"He pitched ahead of the count and got a few double plays," O'Sullivan said. "The defense made plays. It was a great outing for Billy."
UF's pitching staff remains unsettled after Mullaney's poor outing and Bullock's strong performance.
O'Sullivan admitted that deciding on a starting pitcher will be the key to a successful season.
"We've got to pick up the pitching," O'Sullivan said. "We've got the pieces but we've just got to pitch consistently."
McArthur hit a two-run go-ahead triple in the bottom of the sixth inning that gave UF a 8-6 advantage and wound up being the game-winner. The Gators tacked on two more runs that inning.
