Florida’s offense continued to struggle bringing in runs in the final game of its home tournament on Sunday.
The No. 25 Gators (6-6) knocked nine hits but left 10 runners on base in their 5-1 loss to the Illini (6-4) at McKethan Stadium.
“We’re not giving ourselves a chance,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “We’re just in a rut right now where we’re not scoring very many runs, and every pitch is so important.”
Florida freshman pitcher A.J. Puk, making his first college start, started off the game strong, pitching two scoreless innings while showing off a mid-90s fastball that clocked as high as 95 mph.
But Illinois jumped out to a lead in its second time through the order. Puk allowed a leadoff single to start the third, and after a balk and a hit by pitch, the Illini had runners on the corners.
Puk walked first baseman David Kerian and surrendered a single to second baseman Reid Roper, scoring the only runs Illinois would need.
“He’s a tall, lanky lefty,” O’Sullivan said. “It’s going to take some time for his delivery to be in sync.”
Puk left the game after he continued to struggle in the fourth inning. He finished his first start with 3.1 innings pitched, giving up two runs on four hits while walking two batters, hitting one and striking out three.
“He looks dynamite for two innings, and then all of a sudden, he scatters four balls,” O’Sullivan said. “But when he puts it all together, he’s going to be really, really good.”
The Gators could not rally all game to get out of the hole Puk put them in.
Although the hits were falling, Florida could not string them together to bring any runners home, going 4 for 17 with runners on base against Illinois.
The Gators did manage to tack on a run in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Richie Martin, but the solitary run came on the heels of a three-run eighth inning by the Illini. By the time center fielder Buddy Reed crossed the plate for Florida’s lone run, the game was already wrapped up.
“We’re just chasing out of the zone,” O’Sullivan said. “Our approach is not changing quick enough during the course of the game. It’s just as simple as that.”
Follow Adam Lichtenstein on Twitter @alichtenstein24
