Late Surge Lifts Gator Baseball Over UNF

Behind a four-run eighth inning and a strong relief appearance from Kirby Snead, the Florida Gator baseball team defeated the University of North Florida Ospreys 6-2 Tuesday night. This extends the Gators win streak to seven games and moves them to 13-1 on the season. With this loss the Ospreys drop their second straight moving to 6-7 on the season.

UNF struck first in this game with a two-run homer in the first inning. With Kyle Brooks on base, Corbin Olmstead belted a 2-2 fast ball over the left field wall. The Ospreys would not strike again the rest of the game.

Florida pitcher Dane Dunning settled down after the home-run in the first and would eventually go on to strike out a career-high ten batters. Dunning pitched six innings giving up four hits and just the two runs.

Florida would cut the lead to one in the fourth when Peter Alonso hit an RBI single. They would go on to tie the game in the fifth when freshman Jonathan India scored Mike Rivera on a sacrifice fly to center field.

Kirby Snead came on in relief for Dunning in the sixth and did nothing but dominate from the mound. Snead pitched a perfect three innings in route to his first win of the season. He threw 18 pitches on the night with 17 of them being strikes.

In the eighth inning Florida opened up the scoring again adding on four more runs to clinch the game. JJ Schwarz got the scoring started with a single to left field that scored Dalton Guthrie. Peter Alonso came up next and picked up his second RBI of the night by hitting a double that scored Buddy Reed. Mike Rivera gave the Gators two more insurance runs with a single to left field.

The Gators take on UNF again tonight but home at McKethan Stadium. Florida is 8-0 at home this season. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. but coverage starts on ESPN Gainesville 95.3 at 6:50 p.m.