The Florida baseball team completes a three game sweep of Maine on Sunday with a 5-3 win. Florida is now 14-2 on the year while Maine falls to 4-12.
It was a sunny and 75 degree Sunday afternoon outing for the Florida baseball team and the Gator offense coincided with the weather coming out hot early in the game scoring four runs in the first four innings. Florida failed to tack on more scoreboard damage, stranding the bases loaded in three of their first five innings.
Florida’s right-handed starter Dane Dunning was dealing early on in this one, retiring 10 of the first 11 batters he faced. Dunning would last until the 6th inning where he was pulled for lefty Bobby Poyner. Dunning allowed just four hits and one run in his time on the mound to earn his fourth win of the season.
Florida played without the red hot Harrison Bader who did not play Sunday after injuring his ankle on Saturday. But shortstop Richie Martin helped pick up the slack, going 3 for 4 with one RBI. One of the hottest hitters around, third baseman Josh Tobias, extends his hitting streak to eight games with two base knocks on the day. Freshman Dalton Guthrie also pounded out three hits.
The Orange and Blue stranded 13 runners through six innings, keeping the Bears from a Game Three hibernation. Maine hung around until the very end of this one, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh including a home run from first baseman Brenden Geary. Florida’s Bobby Poyner gave up both runs in the inning.
Leading just 4-3 entering the eighth inning, Florida would tack on an important insurance run via a Mike Rivera RBI double. Taylor Lewis entered the game on the mound for UF and got his fourth save of the season.
The Gators now improve to 14 and 2 on the season. Florida will match up next at home against Fairfield on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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