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For the second straight season the Florida baseball team dropped its first game in the SEC Tournament as the Gators fall to Arkansas 7-6 in Hoover, Alabama last night.
Florida will now play an elimination game today at about 2 pm against Auburn, a 9-8 loser to LSU; you can hear the game live on ESPN 850 WRUF.
The Gators were oh so close to a victory as they led in the ninth inning. But Florida lefty reliever Bobby Poyner allowed two Arkansas home runs to give the Razorbacks a 7-6 lead and Arkansas held on for the win.
SEC Player of the Year Andrew Benintendi hit a solo homer to bring Arkansas to within a run of the lead at 6-5. After one out, Poyner allowed a walk and then gave up a home run to Bobby Wernes in the 12th pitch of the at bat to give the Razorbacks the lead.
Benintendi had this to say about the final inning, one where he hit a crucial home run for Arkansas.
“It felt really good. I’ve been struggling the last two days and I finally got a pitch I could hit on and I hit the ball hard and I’m glad I could do that,” he said.
It was a hard fought game down to the final moments. Florida assistant coach Brad Weitzel knows tought losses like this are just a part of the game.
“That happens…sometimes you’re not going to have your best stuff and just one swing there at the end. Last year, we lost the first game and battled back to reach the championship game, we’ll see what happens tomorrow, we’ll have them ready. The lesson is that the game is not over until the final out is made.”
Dane Dunning got the start for Florida Wednesday night and he was not around long, throwing just an inning and a third, giving up three runs and walking three as well. Taylor Lewis came in for Dunning and had a stellar outing, allowing no runs on three hits while striking out four in 3.2 innings.
The Gators tied the game in the bottom of the second inning on a two run single by JJ Schwarz who had three hits on the night, and an error that plated a run.
Florida took a 6-3 lead in the fifth inning on a wild pitch that scored Richie Martin who led off the inning with a walk. Later, Schwarz and Mike Rivera hit RBI doubles to plate two more runs. Arkansas scored a run in the seventh to make it 6-4 before winning the game in the ninth inning.
The Gators will have their ace Logan Shore (6-6 2.83 ERA) on the mound today in hopes of staying alive in the SEC Tournament.
Post game sound from Florida Assistant coach Brad Weitzel
