A
day removed from mostly swinging and missing, the top-ranked Gators
brought their good sticks to Tampa, clubbing South Florida 8-1
behind seven extra-base hits Wednesday night in the USF Baseball
Stadium.
After striking out a season-high 11 times in a home loss to Georgia
Southern on Tuesday, No. 1 Florida used an aggressive approach
against the Bulls, jumping on the first pitch and hitting a
season-high three home runs behind heavy winds blowing
outward.
UF’s approach yielded solid results, as seven of its eight runs
were with two outs, including back-to-back homers in the second
inning from catcher Mike Zunino (1-2 with a walk and two runs
scored) and second baseman Josh Adams.
Daniel Pigott continued his torrid start to the 2011 campaign with
a 3-4 night, including a two-run homer and a double. In the sixth
inning, the junior outfielder — who has a 12 game hitting streak
and is swinging a team best .524 on the season —drilled his first
homer of the year over the leftfield fence putting the Gators up
5-1.
Tampa native Alex Panteliodis made his second start of the season,
notching the win with five solid innings. The junior righty struck
out five and allowed one run, a solo homer in the second.
Bryson Smith added an RBI single in the seventh, and freshman Zack
Powers knocked a two-run pinch-hit single in the eighth.
Three Florida relievers combined for four shutout innings after
Panteliodis was removed in the fifth. Fellow Tampa native Tommy
Toledo tossed two scoreless frames.
Austin Maddox started the game at first base and went 3-5, and the
sophomore also closed the game for Florida, throwing a scoreless
ninth with two strikeouts.
Etc.: Nolan Fontana gunned down a runner at the
plate in the bottom of the first. … Florida committed two errors.
…
