JACKSONVILLE - Saying the Gators are happy they won't have to return to Jacksonville this season may be an understatement.
No. 19 UF dropped a game in Jacksonville for the second consecutive week, this time getting blasted 10-2 by No. 6 Florida State at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville on Tuesday night.
Through much of the season, coach Kevin O'Sullivan has said the fortunes of the UF baseball team would be dependent on the productivity of its pitching and defense.
FSU exploited those areas throughout the evening. The Seminoles used five bunts - three sacrifice and two singles - and a pair of home runs to score five of their 10 runs.
"They did a good job of pulling off their bunt game," UF starting pitcher Stephen Locke said. "I kept them off balance last time we played them, and it was smart on their behalf to do that to get something going for them."
Said O'Sullivan: "They laid down some good bunts, and I think we got a dose of our own medicine, to be honest with you."
The Gators (20-7, 7-2 Southeastern Conference) and Seminoles (24-3, 11-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) complete their three-game series April 15 in Tallahassee.
Tony Delmonico scored on a Jack Posey sacrifice bunt to give the Seminoles an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, and FSU tacked on its second run on a Dennis Guinn bunt in the bottom of the third.
Locke (2-1), who threw six innings and allowed three runs on eight hits, blamed himself for the loss.
"I struggled to find my stuff tonight," he said. "I did the best I could to keep us in the game, but it wasn't good enough."
UF attempted a rally in the top of the fifth with the Seminoles clinging to a 2-0 lead. Catcher Buddy Munroe slapped a 1-0 pitch through the left side to drive in third baseman Jon Townsend. FSU right-hander Ryan Strauss hit center fielder Matt den Dekker with a pitch to load the bases.
Cole Figueroa was unable to capitalize and flew out to left on a 1-0 pitch.
The struggles of Kyle Mullaney continued on Tuesday. The Gators trailed 5-1 when the right-hander entered the game in the bottom of the eighth. The Seminoles tacked on another five runs in the eighth to turn an average win into an embarrassing beatdown of one of their biggest rivals.
"He's having trouble right now commanding his fastball," O'Sullivan said of Mullaney. "When you don't have that, then commanding your secondary stuff gets tough as well. We'll just go back to the drawing board and work through it some more and run him back out there."
ADAMS RETURNS: After suffering what appeared to be a serious ankle injury on Sunday, freshman Josh Adams returned to the lineup Tuesday. The second baseman fouled a ball into his left ankle in UF's 6-3 loss to LSU on Sunday. X-rays after the game revealed that Adams just suffered a deep bone bruise. The Jacksonville native had his ankle wrapped against FSU. Adams was 0 for 3 with a walk.
