For
an inning Friday, it looked like another team had figured out how
to solve Hudson Randall.
But after allowing one run on 20 first-inning pitches against
Georgia, Florida's ace settled down and returned to form as the
Gators downed the Bulldogs 5-4 in Athens, Ga.
"I knew [Randall] would bounce back and he would give us a chance
to win and he would not let last week's start leak into this
week's," UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan said.
Starting in front of family and friends who traveled to Athens from
his hometown Atlanta, Randall looked shaky in the first inning when
the top of Georgia's order followed Mississippi State's blueprint
for hitting the righty.
In his last start, Randall was knocked around for six runs over 2.1
innings and allowed three home runs. Much like the other Bulldogs
last Friday, Georgia (18-17, 8-5 Southeastern Conference) was
patient against Randall early on and tagged him for a run in the
opening frame on a Zach Cone fly ball to left field.
But after settling down, Randall (6-1) found his rhythm and got
ahead in the count against 16 of the next 21 batters, as he pitched
6.1 innings and allowed only two earned runs on six hits.
"That's what separates him from most," O'Sullivan said. "He handles
the success the right way and he handles the failures in the right
way, as well."
At one point, Randall retired 10 consecutive Bulldogs before giving
up a two-out single in the sixth.
When the seventh inning came around, Florida (27-8, 10-3 SEC) help
a 5-1 lead after plating two runs in both the fifth and sixth
innings.
Despite the lead, Randall allowed the first two batters in the
seventh to reach base. After a leadoff single, the sophomore walked
the next Georgia hitter-the first free pass since he had
surrendered since March 14 against Rhode Island, ending a streak of
36 innings without a walk.
After the Bulldogs plated one of the runners later in the inning,
left fielder Daniel Pigott misplayed a fly ball that bounced off
the heel of his glove. The error allowed Jonathan Hester to score
from third after avoiding catcher Mike Zunino's tag at the
plate.
Randall was pulled and Florida's bullpen pitched the final 2.2
frames. Nick Maronde finished off the seventh before Austin Maddox
made his ninth appearance of the season, quickly retiring the side
in the eighth before allowing a run in the ninth.
Steven "Paco" Rodriguez recorded the final out with the winning run
at the plate to earn the save, and Florida beat Georgia for the
ninth consecutive game and giving O'Sullivan his 150th win at
Florida.
"Our bullpen did a nice job tonight," O'Sullivan said. "It came
down to the last pitch there at the end, but that's what happens in
the SEC, especially on Friday nights."
Powers injured: Freshman Zack Powers, who has
started 20 games at third base, left Friday's game with an
undisclosed injury after attempting to steal second in the third
inning. Junior college transfer Jeff Moyer replaced Powers and went
1 for 2 with an RBI. Moyer was also picked off trying to steal
second twice - once in the fifth and once in the seventh.
