Try to follow along.
In a baseball game Wednesday afternoon, the Gators didn't horse around and instead turned a Camel named Fish into their goat.
OK, let's rephrase that.
The UF baseball team (8-2) hammered Campbell starting pitcher Josh Fish in a 15-0 win, but freshman infielder Chris Freshcorn really stole the show in the seventh inning.
With the Camels (3-5) already down eight, the freshman added more insult to their day when he smashed a two-run home run into the left field bleachers with his first career swing on a fastball right down the middle - exactly what he was looking for.
"I was just ready to get my first at-bat," Freshcorn said. "It happened to be my first swing of my college career, and it was a good one."
Freshcorn got one more at-bat, smashing a single up the middle and earning his third RBI.
"He's really loosey-goosey," UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan said.
After injuring his eye and not taking batting practice for two weeks, O'Sullivan asked Freshcorn if he thought he could swing.
"He's got a really good mind for the game," O'Sullivan said. "He doesn't let errors affect him. He's really even keel, and we're going to get him back out there this weekend."
His teammates were also thrilled with what he did.
"That was awesome," center fielder Matt den Dekker said. "He's been working hard, battling some injuries. … The first pitch you see in college - a lot of people can't say they've done that. First pitch, hit a home run - it's probably a great feeling."
After his home run, it was 10-0 in favor of the Gators, but the game was over well before that.
It only took one inning to show how outmatched Fish was against UF. In the first inning, shortstop Cole Figueroa laced a double into the left-center field gap to score Clayton Pisani from first base, and the rout was on. The double also marked the sixth straight home game in which UF scored in the first inning.
A Jonathan Pigott RBI single brought Figueroa home and extended Pigott's hitting streak to 14 games, dating back to last season.
By the third inning, Fish had allowed four runs and still had two runners on base. Campbell took him out, and his relief promptly gave up a three-run home run on the second pitch to den Dekker.
Fish left after 2 2/3 innings, six runs and four walks.
His counterpart on the mound, UF starter Travis Lawler (1-0, 5.19 ERA), was not giving the Campbell offense any help getting back into the game. Of the first 15 batters he retired, 13 of the outs came in the air.
"To me, it's just an out," he said. "I'm just trying to get outs as easy as I can."
Lawler got his first career win in his second career start, finishing after five innings and giving up no runs. He recorded only one walk but no strikeouts on 78 pitches.
UF relievers J.K. LaCoste, Cody Barnes, Stephen Locke and Kyle Mullaney combined to complete the Gators' second shutout of the year.
Two other Gators got career firsts Wednesday. After starting the day 0 for 4, freshman Evan Chambers got his first career hit and RBI with two outs in the eighth inning. Replacement catcher Hampton Tignor immediately followed that with his first career home run.
GAME NOTES: After getting a hit Tuesday, first baseman Brandon McArthur returned to his weekend hitting form, going 0 for 5. … Josh Adams, who usually starts, was wearing a shoulder wrap in the dugout during the game. He did not play, and O'Sullivan said Adams was fine but did not know how it would impact his playing this weekend. … UF broke its streak of stealing a base in each home game this season. … UF averages 10.3 runs per game, up from 7.02 last season. … Mullaney, UF's usual Friday-night starter, will not see a Friday start this week after throwing the ninth inning Wednesday. … Den Dekker said he thought the Camels' mascot was "creative."
