Arkansas kept the game close until it was able to blow the game open with seven runs in a span of three innings Friday on its way to a win.
Just one day later, No. 7 Florida (27-11, 11-6 Southeastern Conference) took a page out of the Razorbacks’ book.
With just a one run lead through the first three innings, the Gators used a six-run fourth to snap No. 9 Arkansas’ (33-7, 13-4 SEC) 13-game winning streak with an 8-3 victory Saturday.
Freshman pitcher Hudson Randall held the potent Arkansas lineup down until Florida was able to put together its big inning. He lasted 5.2 innings and gave up just two unearned runs to a team that scored an average of 9.1 per game coming into Saturday’s matchup.
“The main focus today was to keep the ball down because they have some strong dudes,” Randall said. “If you leave it up and make a mistake, they’ll make you pay for it.”
But he didn’t do it alone. Center fielder Matt den Dekker turned in a pair of sliding catches in left-center field to steal two would-be gapers.
“I just try to track it down and get to it and just help the pitcher out,” den Dekker said. “I try to go hard at everything.”
The Gators did not waste the superb defense and pitching and strung together six hits in a big fourth inning to put themselves out of Arkansas’ reach.
Freshman Austin Maddox led off the frame with a single and just one at-bat later Brian Johnson, who made his first appearance in a game Saturday since injuring his left shoulder on April 10, drove a double off the right-center field wall to put runners on second and third.
Unlike Friday when Florida stranded six runners on base, freshman Mike Zunino jumped on a first-pitch fastball he saw from Arkansas pitcher Brett Eibner and nailed a double off the left-field wall to drive in both runners.
“When you get your cracks and your openings to get some runs on the board, you have to take advantage of it and we certainly did that in the fourth,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said.
Third baseman Bryson Smith capped the four-run inning off with a two-run homer to left field. He is batting .375 and has driven in six runners since returning from a finger injury on April 16.
“Even though he (Smith) is a junior-college player, it still take them a little time to adjust to this level and him getting hurt set him back just a little,” O’Sullivan said. “But he is starting to swing the bat a little better and it gives us another presence.”
That inning would be enough for the Gators.
UF pitcher Greg Larson came in and threw 3.1 scoreless innings in relief for Randall. His ability to close out the game saved the rest of the bullpen for the third game of the series.
Florida and Arkansas will play the rubber match Sunday at 1 p.m. Johnson will be on the mound for the Gators.
