The Florida catchers continue to haunt Georgia.
One day after freshman Mike Zunino hit a game-ending sacrifice fly, backup catcher Ben McMahan smashed a walk-off home run in the No. 4 Gators’ 4-3 series-clinching victory over the Bulldogs (14-35, 3-21 Southeastern Conference) Saturday.
Florida’s two wins against the SEC bottom-dweller keeps the club in step with South Carolina, which is tied with UF for the conference lead.
Georgia capitalized on two UF errors to overcome a 3-2 deficit in the top of the ninth, but McMahan led off the bottom of the frame by pulling a 1-1 fastball to left-center.
McMahan said the pitch jammed him, but he thought he might have hit the ball hard enough for a homer.
“I was rounding first base, and I was like ‘Go! Go!’” he said.
For the second time in as many days, the Gators celebrated by mobbing a clutch hitter.
“It feels awesome,” McMahan said. “There’s really no words to describe it. You got all this adrenaline going. I still got a little adrenaline going right now.”
The home run represents a respite from a season that has been personally frustrating for McMahan. The catcher entered this season hoping to bounce back from a rough freshman campaign, when he hit just 3 for 30 in limited action.
But his playing time has been nearly identical this season. Nevertheless, he has taken advantage of his infrequent opportunities, hitting .386 in 44 at-bats, many of which have come as a pinch hitter.
And when Zunino dislocated his thumb catching a cutter from reliever Stephen Rodriguez, McMahan was ready.
“It’s awfully fun to see a guy like Ben McMahan come off the bench and do something like that because he’s worked really hard and he deserves today,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “He deserves to be the guy in the spotlight.”
Florida (36-12, 19-7 SEC) has won seven consecutive series, although the team’s last two wins have been in games that, on paper, it should have lost. Georgia outhit UF 12-6 Saturday as starter Jeff Walters dominated.
Walters, who entered the game with a 9.27 ERA, struck out eight and allowed three runs in six innings. His only flaw was lack of control, as two of UF’s three runs against him came when runners advanced from third on wild pitches in the first and sixth innings.
Walters’ effort was similar to that of Justin Grimm, Georgia’s Friday night starter who allowed just two runs while striking out six in seven innings the night before. Grimm entered that contest with a 6.07 ERA.
The Gators averaged more than nine runs in the seven games prior to this weekend, but the Bulldogs have held them to only eight total. And the Gators are lucky to have even scored that many.
Along with the two runs scored off Walters’ wild pitches, Florida benefitted from two Georgia errors and a controversial call at second in its two-run comeback Friday.
“We knew that they had talented arms and it just so happens that they pick this weekend to throw arguably their two best games,” O’Sullivan said. “But, you know, it’s good for our team…. This is the type of arms you’re going to see in the postseason.”
The Gators will go for a sweep of the Bulldogs Sunday at 1 p.m.
