As the ball flew over the infield and dumped into center field, JJ Schwarz held just the handle of his bat. He looked perplexed.
Meanwhile, the head of his bright yellow bat flew out toward shortstop.
Though he was sawed off on a 2-2 pitch, Schwarz fisted the pitch for a two-run single that put Florida up 7-0 over Vanderbilt in the third inning. The base hit represented a stark contrast from a solo home run he cranked over the center field wall 400 feet from home plate in the seventh.
Everything between the two hits fell for the Gators (24-12, 8-7 SEC) in a 20-8 series-capturing thrashing of the Commodores Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee.
The 20-hit, 20-run onslaught marked the first time UF has scored 20 or more runs in a conference game since a 24-2 win against Auburn on April 11, 2009.
"Obviously today was all based on the offense,” Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “Did I see 20 runs? Of course not.”
From the first batter of the game to the last, UF hitters made VU pitcher pay.
Florida leadoff hitter Dalton Guthrie kicked off the scoring in the first, blasting the first of two home runs on the day. The junior shortstop entered the game with just one homer all season but left with three.
Also leaving the yard in the first was right fielder Nelson Maldonado, who collected a career-high four RBIs in the contest. He and Schwarz combined for eight of their team’s 18 RBIs.
And in continuing his hot streak, Ryan Larson garnered two more hits in the series. The senior outfielder finished the three-game set 7-for-11 and is now hitting over .500 (18-for-33) in his last eight games.
While Florida sent batter after batter up to the plate, Jackson Kowar pounded the zone on the mound.
UF’s starting pitcher picked up his sixth win — keeping his perfect 6-0 record intact — after surrendering six runs on 10 hits through five innings.
Florida’s offensive explosion continued a recent trend that O’Sullivan has welcomed with open arms. The team, which has ranked near the bottom in the SEC for most offensive categories, has now plated at least 10 runs in three of its last four games.
“Hopefully this is a step,” O’Sullivan said. “We keep making progress. Hopefully this is the game that gets us over the hump offensively.”
@pinakk12
ppinak@alligator.org
UF first baseman JJ Schwarz swings during Florida's 2-0 win against Miami on Feb. 25, 2017, at McKethan Stadium.
