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The top ranked Florida Gator (23-2, 4-1 SEC) baseball team dropped the second game of a three game series to the Kentucky Wildcats (16-6, 3-2 SEC) 7-4 Saturday afternoon. With this loss the Gators 17 game winning streak comes to an end; Florida was one win shy of tying the school record for wins in a row set back in 2012.
Kentucky jumped out to an early lead on left-hander AJ Puk in this one. Sophomore Evan White hit a solo shot in the bottom half of the first to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead. White went 3 for 3 on the day while also scoring two runs.
Florida tied things up in the fourth with a Deacon Dinger; freshman Deacon Liput hit a two-out homer to right field, his second on the season.
The Wildcats wasted no time regaining the lead as they plated three runs in the bottom half of the fourth. Puk gave up a three run homer to senior Dorian Hairston, his second of the season.
Kentucky added three runs in the fifth inning to extend their lead to 7-1 but Florida responded with three runs of their own in the sixth. Mike Rivera hit a two run triple and Jeremy Vasquez had an RBI single, but it would not be enough to mount a comeback.
Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan says his team just threw too many pitches in the middle innings.
Put takes his second loss of the season (4.1 innings pitched, four hits, six runs, five strikeouts and two walks) and is the only Gator pitcher to have a loss this year. Florida’s only other loss this season was to Miami back on February 27th. Wildcat pitcher Dustin Beggs remains perfect on the season throwing 5.2 solid innings to improve to 6-0.
Alex Faedo (5-0, 2.61) gets the nod Sunday on the mound for the Gators and will go up against senior right-hander Kyle Cody (2-1, 6.95). O’Sullivan says Faedo is ready to come out and get the win for the Gators. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. but you can tune into Country 103-7 The Gator for the game call with Jeff Cardozzo and Steve Russell.
