ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF
Seems like a long time ago now that Gators baseball was the consensus top team in the nation.
The Gators are at the top of the Preseason D1 Baseball Rankings https://t.co/UUzmtuAU8v
— Harrison Smajovits (@HarrisonSmaj) January 18, 2021
Did that mean expectations were ridiculously high? Yeah, probably that was the case. But no one predicted the way the season would end. An embarrassing loss to South Alabama, 19-1, at Florida Ballpark nonetheless. The back-to-back losses to start the regional means they’re out. The inaugural season at their new home is over.
The Gators finish the season with a record of 38-22. They lost the final three games of the year.
It Actually Started as a Game
Hunter Barco took the mound for the Gators. He recorded a single out. He surrendered two runs on the following sequence:
- A walk, followed by a groundout to advance the runner
- Hit by pitch
- Back-to-back singles that brought in two runs
Barco then threw a wild pitch to add insult to injury. Sully had had enough.
Pitcher Jack Leftwich came in relief to stop the bleeding, then tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
Florida cut the score in half on a sac-fly by Mac Gussette in the third. This score held until the bottom of the fifth. It spiraled from there.
Jaguars Scored…Then Again…
South Alabama plates two in the fifth to make it 4-1. Still a ballgame. Florida was able to still get back in it.
Instead, the Gators allowed 10 runs to score in the bottom of the sixth.
All 10 runs scored with two outs. The last time the Gators gave up 10 runs in one innings was to South Carolina in 2006. That was when Darren O’Day played for Florida.
The Gators then allowed two solo homers and a three-run homer in the seventh inning. Make that 19-1.
This is the same game the Gators scored a single run to cut the lead in half.
This would be the final in the season finale. However, the game wouldn’t end for another two hours due to a rain delay. Florida’s finale had to be dragged out as long as possible.
