During its recent slump, Florida has struggled with starting pitching and stranding runners. On Sunday, junior Brian Johnson made sure both problems were taken care of.
Stepping to the plate with bases loaded and one out in the top of the first, Johnson lined a bases-clearing double to right. Then he maintained control of the game with his left arm.
“We jumped out 4-0, and he threw strikes, he commanded the strike zone,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “I really, really liked his demeanor today.”
For the first time in three weeks, No. 7 Florida (28-8, 9-6 Southeastern Conference) won an SEC weekend series by defeating Tennessee (21-15, 7-8 SEC) 8-1 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Sunday was an opportunity for the Gators to snap a number of poor stretches.
Catcher Mike Zunino entered the day batting .185 in his career against Tennessee but was able to get on base twice and score in the game’s first three innings. Vickash Ramjit had just one hit in his last 17 at bats before his second-inning home run, and Daniel Pigott’s only hit of the series had been an infield single before he opened the fourth with a double.
Even third baseman Cody Dent broke a streak, notching his first RBI hit of the year with a run-scoring single in the fourth.
The Gators surged ahead early in Knoxville. After Johnson’s double, freshman left fielder Justin Shafer hit a sac fly to left to give Florida a 4-0 lead in the first. The Gators then tacked on at least one run in each of the next three innings, getting the leadoff man on in every frame until the fifth.
“[Sunday] was about as complete of a game as we have played in a while,” O’Sullivan said. “We played really well [Sunday].”
Right-handed sophomore Nick Williams got the start for Tennessee. In his only outing against Florida as a freshman, Williams gave up five runs on four hits in one inning. Sunday wasn’t any better.
Struggling to locate his mid-90s fastball, Williams was pulled after 1.1 innings, four hits and five runs. He hit Zunino in the first and walked Nolan Fontana before leaving in the second.
After disappointing outings in his last three starts, Johnson was crisp. He struck out four of the 24 batters he faced. He allowed one hit in each inning he pitched but stranded six Volunteers.
It took a combination of five UF relievers to close the game, as O’Sullivan was quick to pull arms in search of the Gators’ third shutout of the season. But the effort was blown in the ninth when Keenan Kish hit the leadoff man before allowing a two-out Will Maddox RBI single.
Following a quick start, Florida’s offense was quiet after the fourth, scoring no runs and recording just two hits in the game’s final five frames.
“We would have loved to tack on some more runs there,” O’Sullivan said. “Like yesterday we scored some runs and then we let some innings slip away from us.”
Florida and Tennessee split the first two games of the series. The Gators got a strong start out of sophomore Jonathon Crawford Friday night en route to a 3-1 win before falling 5-4 on Saturday when Ramjit grounded into a double play with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth.
The win gave Florida sole possession of second place in the SEC East behind Kentucky, which took two of three from Arkansas this weekend and is now 11-4 in conference play.
A radio broadcast contributed to this report.
Florida starting pitcher Brian Johnson throws against LSU on April 5. Johnson started Sunday’s game, throwing six scoreless innings while also driving in three runs at the plate. UF won 8-1.
