Florida Baseball Shutout, Drops Series Against Mississippi State

The Florida baseball team lost 2-0 to Mississippi State Saturday afternoon in Starkville.  Mississippi State tallied two runs in the first inning and that’s all Bulldog starter Kendall Graveman would need to earn his fourth win of the season. The senior right-hander tossed a complete game shutout allowing only five hits, while walking two and punching out a pair of Gators on 108 pitches.

Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan says Graveman had his good stuff on the mound.

Florida freshman lefty Danny Young fell to 1-3. Young went four innings, allowed six hits, surrendered two runs, walked two, and struck out three on 78 pitches. Coach O’Sullivan says he thought his starter battled the Bulldogs.

The Gators had to turn to the bullpen and their arms answered the call. Righty Ryan Harris, sefty Bobby Poyner, and righty Mike Vinson combined for five innings of one-hit baseball and five strikeouts. Harris struck out four of the seven batters he faced and tied a career high in strikeouts he set in his last appearance on Tuesday against UCF. O’Sullivan says the pen did a good job of keeping his team in it.

Florida will look to salvage the final game of the series on Sunday. The Gators will look to improve after grounding into three double plays against the Bulldogs. O’Sullivan says they’ll adjust their approach in order to avoid the sweep.

The Gators fall to 14-18 on the season and 4-7 in SEC play. The Bulldogs clinched the series, and improve to 26-8 and 5-6 in conference play. Florida had taken the last three regular-season series from Mississippi State entering the weekend.

Country 103-7 the Gator has the call beginning at 2:25pm.