If the Gators are losing a game later in the season, coach Kevin O’Sullivan wants his team to think about Wednesday night.
No. 2 Florida (17-3) trailed Florida Gulf Coast by eight runs in the second inning, but UF scored five to take the lead in the fourth, and the Gators’ bullpen silenced the Eagles (12-7) in a 13-8 comeback win.
“We just kept chipping away,” O’Sullivan said. “(FGCU) has a really good club and a really good hitting team. It was remarkable to fall behind 8-0 and put zeroes on the board for the rest of the way.”
The offense was sparked by fourth-inning home runs by second baseman Josh Adams and senior Matt den Dekker. With two outs and runners on the corners, den Dekker drove a fastball to the left-field bleachers to give UF a 9-8 lead.
“To finally break through and get the lead is nice when you get behind like that,” den Dekker said of the homer. “It’s something our team does. We battle. We’re not going to give up.”
When Florida trailed Florida State by seven on March 2, O’Sullivan said his team became impatient. Three weeks later, the Gators learned from their mistakes and did not panic.
“We’re going to get down in games,” den Dekker said. “You can’t give in and can’t give away at-bats trying to get four (runs) in one swing with nobody on base.”
Before UF could drive runs in, the Eagles gave one away for free. FGCU starter Patrick Nathanson held UF hitless in two innings, but he allowed a run in the second when he walked four Gators.
UF scored another run in the third inning when den Dekker was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Eagles’ hurlers struggled with their control all game, hitting three batters and walking 10 more.
By contrast, UF’s relievers were dominant. Using five pitchers in 7.2 innings, the bullpen allowed just one run while the offense mounted a comeback.
The team found itself in a hole when FGCU battered UF starter Anthony DeSclafani. After retiring the first three hitters, DeSclafani was pounded in the second inning.
The sophomore hung pitches high in the strike zone and allowed six hits in the frame. He also committed a throwing error and hit a batter before O’Sullivan pulled him.
The bad outing was FSU déjà vu for DeSclafani, who allowed five runs and retired no batters against the Seminoles. Between that game and Wednesday’s outing, DeSclafani surrendered a combined 11 earned runs in 1.1 innings.The Gators pitcher has a 1.20 ERA in his other three starts this season.
O’Sullivan experimented with his lineup by putting freshman Austin Maddox at third base. Maddox, who has played first on the rare occasion that he wasn’t the designated hitter, made a leaping catch on a line drive in the fifth.
O’Sullivan said Maddox could see time at third this weekend against Ole Miss.
“We’ve always known that he could do it,” O’Sullivan said. “It was good to get him out there and get him ready for this weekend.”
