Gator Baseball Wins with Unusual Walk-Off

After blowing a two-run lead in the 8th inning, the Florida Gator baseball team came from behind and won on an unusual walk-off to defeat Eastern Michigan Eagles 8-7 Wednesday night. The Gators remain a perfect 5-0 on the season, while the Eagles fell to 3-3 on the season.

Scott Moss got his first collegiate start for the Gators and struggled early in the first inning. Moss hit his first batter of the game and would eventually load the bases on a single and a walk. The Eagles would go on to take a 1-0 lead when Moss hit his second batter of the inning, bringing home a run.

Moss would settle down a bit striking out six batters and giving up just the one base hit over three innings of work.

Florida would tie things up at 1-1 in the bottom half of the third. Freshman Deacon Liput led the inning off with a walk and would advance to third on a walk and a stolen base. Pete Alonso drove home Liput on an RBI groundout to third.

The Eagles added another run in the 5th inning, but the Gators struck back with three of their own. JJ Schwarz scored on a single from Jeremy Vasquez to tie things up 2-2. Mike Rivera gave the Gators a 4-2 lead after he singled to left field scoring Vasquez and Alonso.

Things would remain knotted at 4-2 until the 8th inning. Eastern Michigan scored five runs in the top half of the eighth on a pair of two run doubles and a fielders choice making the game 7-2 with only six outs left for the Gators.

Florida’s first two batters walked to start the inning and Deacon Liput roped a ball down the right field line for a two-run triple with still no outs. Liput is the first Gator to reach double digit RBI’s this season (10).

The Gators were unable to score Liput from third base to tie the game up keeping the Gators down 7-6 heading into the ninth.

Shaun Anderson came onto the mound in the ninth inning for Florida giving up just one single in the inning. Ryan Larson and Jonathan India both singled with one out to giving the Gators base runners at first and second. Freshman Nelson Maldonado pinch-hit for Christian hicks and the freshman picked a good time for his first career hit. Maldonado hit a bloop single to right field scoring Larson and moving India to third with still just one out and the game tied at 7-7.

Liput was intentionally walked to load the bases for Buddy Reed. On a 1-2 count the Eagles catcher interfered with Buddy Reed causing the winning run to come in for a very unusual walk off.

#Gators rally with 2 runs in the 8th and 2 in the 9th for 8-7 victory – winning run scored when Buddy Reed was interfered with #GoGators

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) February 25, 2016

Anderson picked up the win giving him his first ever collegiate win. The Orange and Blue head to Coral Gables next to take on Miami in a three game series starting this Friday.