"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">As
Kamm Washington watched the ball fly over the wall in left field,
the Florida sophomore found himself in an unfamiliar situation.
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
With No. 1 Florida (21-3, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) tied 1-1
with No. 4 South Carolina (17-5, 3-2 SEC) in the seventh inning
Saturday, Washington smacked his first home run of the season,
lifting the Gators to a 2-1 victory.
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
South Carolina reliever Matt Price (1-2, 4.85 ERA) left a fastball
high on the first pitch he threw and Washington took advantage,
hitting only the second home run of his career.
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">“I
don’t want to sound too cocky,” Washington said. “I knew I hit it
good, but I wasn’t going to trot. I was making sure it was
out.”
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
It’s easy to see why Washington wanted to make sure the ball was
leaving the park: His last round-tripper came against USF in last
year’s season-opening series. The centerfielder went 101 official
at-bats between home runs before his late-inning bomb Saturday.
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
The home run couldn’t have come at a better time for Florida, as
scoring was at a premium in McKethan Stadium.
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
South Carolina right-handed starter Forrest Koumas stifled
Florida’s batters for six innings before he was pulled in the
seventh.
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
The Gators mustered just two hits and one run against the righty.
Florida plated its only run against the freshman when Washington
scored on a Nolan Fontana sacrifice fly in the third.
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
Even then, the Gators’ first run of the game was scored without
recording a hit. On the night, Florida mustered just three hits,
tying a season low it set in a loss to Georgia Southern earlier in
the month.
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
Although Fontana recorded the RBI in the third, the shortstop and
the rest of Florida’s first five hitters combined to go 0 for 14 at
the plate.
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
Meanwhile, South Carolina had an even tougher time getting on the
board against right-handed pitcher Hudson Randall.
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
Randall (4-0, 0.66) pitched the Gators’ first complete game of the
season, going the distance on 95 pitches. The righty allowed five
hits and no earned runs while striking out four and walking
zero.
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
The complete game was the first for UF since Alex Panteliodis’
nine-inning gem last June in the first game of the NCAA Super
Regional against Miami.
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
“Just watching [Randall], his stuff is filthy,” Washington said.
“He’s a professional. It’s nice to sit back there and watch him and
learn something from him.”
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
The five hits Randall gave up were scattered through the first
three innings, but following a 20-pitch third inning the righty
completely shut down South Carolina’s lineup.
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
Randall mixed his fastball and slider effectively and kept lefties
off balance with his curveball and changeup, retiring 19 straight
batters to close the game.
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
“My whole mindset is to not let them score any runs. That’s my main
goal,” Randall said. “Once a runner gets on second or third, I’m
buckling down and doing anything I can to keep them from touching
home.”
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
The teams take the field again today at 1 for a rubber match to
decide the series. Freshman Karsten Whitson (3-0, 2.52) will take
the mound for Florida.
"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times New Roman;">
Etc.: Mike Zunino tied his career high when he
extended his hit streak to 12 games with a single in the fourth. …
Nolan Fontana’s nine-game hitting streak was snapped. … Randall has
yet to allow a run in SEC play. … The announced attendance was
4,859.
