Two very different teams played each other at Florida’s Ring Tennis Complex on Sunday when UF faced off against SEC rival Vanderbilt.
The Gators women’s tennis team had seen this before. Late in singles play with the match on the line against an SEC opponent, it all came down to one tiebreaker set.
After four innings of no offense for the Auburn Tigers, Kasey Cooper finally made solid contact.
Chris Chiozza:
Nelson Maldonado turned, took two steps and stopped. He’d seen this before, and he knew there was nothing he could do.
Florida’s March magic ran out Sunday.
UF midfielder Allie Pavinelli lined up for the free-position shot after a successful Florida clear attempt.
It started with a hard ground ball to LSU shortstop Kramer Robertson, who tried to throw out UF’s JJ Schwarz at first. It started when the throw beat him but pulled first baseman Jake Slaughter into Schwarz’s running lane, leading to a collision. It started when Slaughter dropped the ball, allowing Schwarz to tap first base safely.
Down two points. Four seconds left. And the full length of the court.
Tyler Dyson stepped back from the mound to regroup.
The Gators didn’t go to work on March 17. Coach Roland Thornqvist said they weren’t prepared. They lacked confidence. And they ultimately paid the price, losing their first match of the season to rival Georgia, 4-1.
Florida junior Alex McMurtry was named both the SEC Gymnast and Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Thursday, becoming the first Gator in school history to earn both titles in the same season.
OK, who saw this coming?
It certainly won’t carry the hype that surrounded their football teams, but make no mistake: The Florida-LSU rivalry on the baseball diamond is alive and well.
When Florida hired Mike White as the men’s basketball coach to take over for UF legend Billy Donovan, forward Devin Robinson had never heard White's name.
All Chris Chiozza could do was watch.
When Yadier Molina was asked how much winning the World Baseball Classic meant to him, he didn’t hesitate.
Jordan Roberts started back to home plate.
In August, Maegan Chant’s life was uprooted.
Standing in Florida’s Indoor Practice Facility, Feleipe Franks a few feet to his left, Kyle Trask realized something.
Solutions by The State News
