Florida’s series-clinching win against South Carolina was a group effort.
The No. 15 Gators (23-13, 9-6 Southeastern Conference) used seven pitchers in their 6-5 win against the No. 5 Gamecocks (28-7, 8-7 SEC) on Sunday in Columbia, S.C.
Sophomore left-hander Danny Young got the start for Florida and pitched only two innings. Young didn’t pitch poorly, surrendering only one unearned run on three hits in two innings of work, but coach Kevin O’Sullivan had a quick hook.
O’Sullivan brought in former starter Karsten Whitson, who had his best relief outing of the season. The redshirt junior tossed 2.2 innings and gave up an unearned run in the fifth inning.
After Whitson tossed two scoreless frames, he gave up a double to USC catcher Grayson Greiner. Designated hitter Taylor Widener followed with a ground ball, which Richie Martin fielded and hurled to first. The first-base umpire, Terrence Mobley, ruled Widener out at first, but then convened to discuss the call with the other umpires, who eventually ruled him safe.
The decision cost UF a run, as left fielder Patrick Harrington drove in Greiner soon after.
That was one of five errors Florida committed Sunday. Of South Carolina’s five runs, four were unearned.
But the Gators’ offense pounded their way back into the lead.
Catcher Taylor Gushue keyed off UF’s biggest rally of the day with a single with one out in the eighth inning. Right fielder Braden Mattson followed with a single of his own, and designated hitter A.J. Puk singled to load the bases.
Third baseman Peter Alonso drove in Gushue and Mattson on a fielder’s choice and an error. First baseman Zack Powers, who has been mired in a season-long slump, followed with his second double of the season, driving in the third run of the inning.
Left fielder Buddy Reed closed out the scoring with an RBI single. By the time the Gamecocks escaped the inning, their 4-2 lead had evaporated.
“Going down early against a team like South Carolina isn’t fun,” Gushue said in a release. “We showed some resilience and grit the past two days. It’s definitely not easy to play here with the crowd, especially against a really good ball club.”
Eric Hanhold, the Gators’ seventh pitcher of the day, came in to pitch the eighth and sealed the game in the ninth, getting a 1-2-3 inning to close out the game.
“You’ve got to make some big pitches in key situations,” O’Sullivan said in a release. “We used seven different pitchers today, and Eric made some big pitches in the ninth to keep it right there for us and never gave them a chance at the end.”
Follow Adam Lichtenstein on Twitter @alichtenstein24
Taylor Gushue bats during Florida’s 3-1 win against Florida State on March 18 at McKethan Stadium. Gushue hit a single to start a four-run rally in the eighth inning of UF’s 6-5 win against USC on Sunday.
