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The No. 2 Florida Gator baseball team won the weekend series against the Georgia Bulldogs winning Game 3, 4-1. With starting pitcher Alex Faedo’s effort, relief help from Shaun Anderson and the help of defense, the Gators held the Bulldogs to only one run. The Gators are now on a two-game winning streak, 36-6 on the season, and 13-5 in SEC play.
Faedo came in with a shaky start in the first, giving up a single up the middle. Kieboom would reach on a fielding error by Ryan Larson. With two men on base, Faedo escaped the jam with two strikeouts.
The Gators would waste no time getting on the board. Guthrie would single to right field and advance to second on Deacon Liput’s sacrifice bun,t then to third on JJ Schwarz fly out to centerfield. Peter Alonso would seal the deal with a home run bringing in two runs for the Gators in the first. The junior says center field has been a tough spot to hit this season, and now that he has reached one of his many goals in his career.
Home Run No. 9 for Peter Alonso to center field – 2-0 #Gators pic.twitter.com/XyVo3Upjaa
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) April 23, 2016
The Gators would continue the momentum in the second as Jonathan India would capitalize off of a walk, passed ball, and wild pitch. In scoring position, India would advance to home on Ryan Larson’s single to give the Gators a three-run lead.
Centerfield became popular spot for the Gator offense in the third as Peter Alonso and Buddy Reed had consecutive doubles to the spot to put up another run for the Gators giving the team a four-run lead. Reed would have his fourth triple on the season in the fifth but was left on base when Liput grounded out.
Faedo would come to the mound in the sixth allowing Kieboom a leadoff walk. McGovern would single to centerfield and Curry would reached on a fielders choice to third base and Mcgovern would get out at second. With men on the corners and two out, Kirby Snead would come in to relieve Faedo. Faedo pitched 5.2 innings, six strikeouts, and two hits. Snead would then close out the sixth against the Bulldogs getting a strikeout to end the inning.
Snead would be relieved in the eighth by Dane Dunning after two singles and a strikeout. Dunning would come in and get out of the inning aftger Michael Curry reached on a fielders choice, but Kieboom would be out at second.
Georgia would threaten in the ninth inning. Reliever Nick Horvath would start for the Gators in the ninth. Bulldog Daniel Nichols doubled to right-center to lead off the ninth and Wreen would walk, followed by Tally reaching on a fielding error to load the bases. Horvath would be relieved by Shaun Anderson who got out of the inning with just one run. Junior Peter Alonso says Anderson picked him and Dane Dunning up in the last inning and dominates the mound on every appearance.
Up next the Gators get a break from midweek games and start fresh in a weekend series against South Carolina in Columbia. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. in the Friday night game.
