Ricky Knapp has Florida’s number. The Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year dominated the Gators yet again with a complete game six-hitter.
Florida Gulf Coast (3-1) defeated No. 17 Florida (3-3) 8-2 in a Friday night pitcher’s duel at McKethan Stadium.
“He’s a good pitcher,” Justin Shafer said. “He always throws strikes. I actually played with him in the summer. We knew he was going to come in and pound the zone. We were trying to be aggressive, but he got us tonight.”
Vickash Ramjit drove in both runs with sacrifice flies in the second and seventh innings. Zack Powers doubled in the second for Florida’s only extra-base hit of the contest.
Knapp handled the Gators last year as well. He allowed two runs in seven innings against Florida on March 9, 2012. A two-run home run by Mike Zunino in the eighth against reliever Brady Anderson spoiled Knapp’s start.
Gators starter Jonathon Crawford can relate to that. After shutting out the Eagles with 5.1 hitless innings on Friday, his bullpen uncharacteristically surrendered eight runs in four frames.
Crawford showed signs of slowing down in his second start this season. Coach Kevin O’Sullivan went to the bullpen once Crawford hitting Alex Diaz to begin the inning and allowing a one-out walk to Mike Reeves.
Left-hander Daniel Gibson gave up a three-run home run to Brooks Beisner two batters later and the spotless start turned sour.
“I felt good. I felt in rhythm,” Crawford said. “I had my breaking stuff going. I had my changeup going. I felt good until that sixth inning.”
Crawford tossed a season-high 79 pitches. He had 74 in his first start last Friday against Duke.
Florida lost its second-straight game, but all is not lost as it moves forward.
“Overall, I thought he pitched much better than he did the first weekend,” O’Sullivan said of Crawford. “Certainly something to build off of for next Friday.”
For the first time all season, Florida’s bullpen had a performance it would like to forget. Freshman left-hander Parker Danciu was called in to face three consecutive lefties in the eighth but failed. Redshirt freshman right-hander Aaron Rhodes left pitches up and Florida Gulf Coast tagged him for two runs.
While Florida Gulf Coast took advantage of Florida’s relievers, the veteran starters made quick work of both teams.
The two starters went pitch for pitch. Scouts huddled behind the home plate netting with radar guns and video cameras in hand.
Knapp doesn’t have the mid-90s fastball Crawford features, but he’s effective.
Gators hitters helped him out. Seventy of his 92 pitches went for strikes. He didn’t have one inning with more than 15 pitches.
Knapp resembled another strike-thrower who had success at McKethan Stadium — former Gators starter Hudson Randall who threw a 74-pitch complete game shutout against Tennessee on April 2, 2011.
Florida had an aggressive mindset going into the game. Knapp walked one in six shutout innings against St. Johns last Friday.
The complete game was the first against the Gators since D.J. Baxendale carried Arkansas to a 4-3 win on May 5, 2011 in Fayetteville, Ark.
“He doesn’t walk anybody so there is no sense in getting deep in the count,” O’Sullivan said. “He throws three pitches for strikes at any time. If you sit back, wait and get deep in the count, it doesn’t do you any good. He throws strike after strike.”
Contact Adam Pincus at apincus@alligator.org.
Junior Jonathon Crawford throws a pitch during Florida’s 9-8 victory against NC State in Game 2 of the NCAA Gainesville Super Regional on June 10, 2012, at McKethan Stadium.
