The top ranked Florida baseball team will look to take the series from top ten ranked South Carolina today after dropping a 2-1 decision last night in Columbia, South Carolina.
Florida (37-7, 14-6 SEC) falls a game behind the Gamecocks for the lead in the SEC. Carolina (34-9, 15-5 SEC) dropped the first game of the series 5-4 on Friday.
Saturday’s game was a pitcher’s duel from the start as AJ Puk for Florida and Braden Webb for South Carolina pitched well. Florida scored first on a solo homer by Buddy Reed in the second inning but the Gamecocks tied it in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI hit from first baseman LT Tolbert.
Puk and Webb would dominate from there; Puk pitched six innings, giving up one run while striking out 10; Webb pitched 7.1 innings, giving up one run while fanning seven.
The Gamecocks scored the eventual winning run on a solo homer from leadoff hitter Gene Cone off reliever Kirby Snead. In the eighth, Florida put two runners on but both Deacon Liput and JJ Schwarz struck out against reliever Tyler Johnson to end the threat. Florida got a runner to third in the ninth but Johnson struck out Ryan Larson to end the game.
Game 3 of the series is Sunday at 1:30 pm; you can hear the game live on Country 103-7 The Gator.