Gators Baseball Falls to Tennessee in Extra Innings

The Florida baseball team loses to the Tennessee Volunteers 7-6 in extra innings at McKethan Stadium on Friday night. Tennessee is now 2-8 in SEC play while the Gators fall to 5-5 in the league.

Florida starting pitcher Alex Faedo’s night started off strong keeping the Vols scoreless and posting six strikeouts through the first three innings. He ended his day pitching 5.2 innings, allowing 10 hits and six runs with 12 strikeouts.  The Gators totaled 13 hits and six runs and the pitching staff combined for a season high 18 strike outs, but it wasn’t enough to get the win.

Gator coach Kevin O’Sullivan says the offense did its job but it is still inconsistent and trying to figure it out has been a bit frustrating.

Despite a season-high of strikeouts (18), #Gators still lose Game 1.

— Fernando Juncadella (@FJuncadella) April 8, 2017

The Gators were the first to get on the board in the second after a bases loaded single by Ryan Larson brought home Mike Rivera. The fourth was a strong inning for both teams. The Vols posted three runs on five hits to put them up 3-1. The Gators answered by tying the game after a single from Keenan Bell brought home Rivera and an RBI by Nick Horvath scored Christian Hicks.

Both teams continued to put numbers on the board in the fifth and sixth innings and the Vols pulled ahead again after scoring two in the sixth. Tennessee’s Reggie Southall doubled and Brodie Leftridge tripled to bring him home and Justin Ammons pushed the score to 6-4 with an RBI hit.  The Gators came right back as Larson doubled and a single from Deacon Liput brought Larson home to make it 6-5.  A solo home run from Larson, his third home run of the season, tied it up at six in the eighth.

AND WE'RE TIED!!!!

Larson hits his third homer of the season and we're all square.

B8 | #Gators 6, #Vols 6 pic.twitter.com/egpq7n10CC

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) April 7, 2017

Extra Innings

In the top of the 10th, Andre Lipcius and Pete Derkay both singled and a sacrifice fly from pinch hitter Will Heflin plated the winning run. Larson singled again in the 10th but it wasn’t enough as the Gators fell to the Vols.  Larson, who had a four hit day, says the team needs to refocus and regroup as a team and put this loss behind them.

Brady Singer will be on the mound Saturday for the Gators in the second game of the series that starts at 6 pm.