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Behind a dominant performance on the mound from junior lefty Hunter Barco, the Florida baseball team opens its 2022 season with a 7-2 home win over the Liberty Flames on Friday night.
Back at the Ballpark
Florida Ballpark opened its doors to full capacity on Friday, welcoming Gator fans to a new season of Florida baseball. The fans were obviously prepared. 6,463 showed out on Friday, the largest in program history.
Pitching Dominance
Hunter Barco had a standout game, as he got the win on the mound for the Gators. He didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning while picking up the win and he also struck out 11 in a dominant performance. He was removed in the sixth to focus on future games, met by thunderous applause from the crowd.
The Gator relievers did well, allowing just two runs to the Flames. Ryan Slater came on in the ninth inning for Florida with the bases loaded and worked out of a jam to preserve the win.
Outstanding Offense
The bats may not have been on fire all night, but when they were hot, they were burning. Kendrick Calilao started off the night off offensively with an RBI in the first inning and in the second inning, Wyatt Langford collected his first hit as a Gator, a solo home run to give Florida a 2-0 lead.
Jud Fabian had a near home run in the bottom of the third, only for Derek Orndorff to make a miraculous diving catch. Gator fans were stunned, and then erupted in cheers for a play that many will likely never see again.
Sterlin Thompson was the star of the Gator offense, hitting two home runs and driving in five runs. The Gators broke open a close game with four runs in the seventh inning to secure the victory.
The Weekend Ahead
Florida still has two more games against Liberty this weekend, and are looking for two more convincing wins. There were points that could use improvement, but head coach Kevin O’Sullivan knows what his team needs to do to come out on top.
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The Gators continue the series at 4pm on Saturday, February 19th at Florida Ballpark.
