HOOVER, Ala. – The Gators’ once-porous defense closed its holes Friday night.
After allowing two runs to score on defensive miscues the day before, No. 4 UF (42-14) bailed its pitchers out with four inning-ending double plays as Florida downed No. 24 Vanderbilt (41-17) 5-3 in the third round of the loser’s bracket in the Southeastern Conference Tournament at Regions Park Stadium.
UF will play Alabama (36-21) Saturday 30 minutes after the LSU-Mississippi game, which starts at 9:30 a.m. If the Gators beat the Crimson Tide, which is 2-0 this weekend, the two squads will play again at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Coach Kevin O’Sullivan planned to use Hudson Randall, Greg Larson and Steven Rodriguez against Vanderbilt. And, because all three pitchers thrive with movement pitches, O’Sullivan planned for many ground balls hit to starting freshman Cody Dent at third base.
“(Vanderbilt is) an aggressive hitting club and we played really good defense,” O’Sullivan said.
Making his second start in a row at the hot corner, Dent has flashed more agility than the 230-pound Austin Maddox, who has started most of UF’s outings at third but has played at first the last two days.
Half of the team’s twin-killings were started by Dent.
The combination of sinker balls and quick infielders proved to be too much for Vanderbilt, as UF recorded 17 groundouts compared to four fly-ball outs and limited the Commodores to two runs.
“Double plays are a pitcher’s best friend, and I tried to make a pitch in each of those situations,” Randall said. “They came through and made the plays for me.”
The Gators turned two double plays with Randall on the mound, but the biggest play came shortly after the freshman was taken out. Larson, who entered in the sixth after Randall walked three and surrendered a one-run double, got UF out of the jam by inducing a 4-6-3 double play.
For O’Sullivan to be able to keep penciling Dent into the lineup, the Gators need usual first baseman Preston Tucker to handle right field. On Thursday, that proposition seemed implausible as Tucker lost two fly balls in the sun before moving back to his normal position.
But, with the sun nowhere in sight for UF’s 9 p.m. game Friday, O’Sullivan tested Tucker at right again. This time, Tucker was 2 for 2 in securing fly balls, the first of which drew a round of sarcastic applause from his dugout.
UF watched film of Friday’s game on the team bus, and Randall said his teammates enjoyed repeatedly watching Tucker’s struggles.
“It was one of the more embarrassing moments I’ve had on a baseball field,” Tucker said. “But, you know, you guys have your fun with it and I’ll wear this one.”
O’Sullivan said Tucker’s bad day was blown out of proportion.
“Tucker had a tough day with the sun (Thursday),” O’Sullivan said. “You turn on the TV every day and there’s big leaguers who lose balls in the sun. I got a lot of confidence.”
Tucker also thrived at the dish, crushed a changeup from Vanderbilt pitcher Jack Armstrong deep to right for a two-run homer – Tucker’s first long ball since May 8 against Alabama.
Armstrong, who pitched six scoreless innings in Gainesville on Easter, was pulled after allowing five runs in 4.1 innings on Friday.
And his outing could have been much worse.
Brian Johnson, Ben McMahan and Dent – the bottom three hitters in UF’s lineup – all reached base to start the third. But the Gators only scored once in the frame as leadoff hitter Nolan Fontana grounded into a double play and senior Josh Adams lined out to short.
The Gators scored two the next inning after again loading the bases. Both runs scored when Johnson reached on a throwing error by Armstrong, but McMahan and Dent followed with strike outs.
Armstrong was pulled in the fifth amid controversy. After hitting his home run, Tucker slowly trotted out of the batter’s box while admiring his blast. With his next pitch, Armstrong beamed Maddox and jawed with the freshman.
The Gators bench, meanwhile, started yelling at Armstrong before O’Sullivan ordered them to shut up.
Richie Goodenow thrived in relief for the Commodores, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings. But UF’s lead was safe with its own bullpen, as Larson and Rodriguez allowed only one run during the same stretch.
After UF dropped its opening-round game to LSU, O’Sullivan said his team could not afford to take a weekend off. The Gators, who have likely secured a national seed in the postseason, have played with much more emotion the last two days, he said.
“Coach O’Sullivan emphasized that we can’t turn on and off the switch to where we want to play and we can’t,” Tucker said. “He told us, ‘You know, if you play like that it’s going to continue in the regionals and we’re going to get knocked out a lot sooner than we like.’ So we’ve definitely stepped up the last couple games and I think we’re playing as well as we can.”
