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The Florida Gator baseball team defeated the Jacksonville Dolphins, Tuesday night in extra innings, 5-4. Florida is now 6-3 on the year while the Dolphins fall to 3-4.
How It Went Down
Florida started well, scoring two runs in the first inning. Brady McConnell drew a lead off walk and Austin Langworthy followed with a single. Then, SEC-Co Freshman of the Week, Kendrick Calilao delivered a sac fly to right field that gave the Gators a 1-0 lead.
#Gators are on the board! Calilao with a sac fly to right and that's another RBI for the freshman.
T1 | #Gators 1, JU 0 pic.twitter.com/mv6YikUAZF
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) February 26, 2019
After that, designated hitter Jordan Butler brought in another run in his first at-bat of the season with a double to bring Langworthy home. In the second inning, McConnell singled to right field scoring Blake Reese to give the Gators a 3-0 lead.
But the Dolphins bounced back with two runs in the second inning on a two out double from Cory Heffron and two runs in the third inning to take a 4-3 lead.
Florida Pitching Set The Tone
Florida sophomore righty Justin Alintoff made his first career start and lasted three innings, giving up five hits and four runs, two earned, while walking one and fanning two. David Luethje entered in the bottom of the fourth to perform a 1-2-3 fifth inning as the Dolphins still led 4-3. He retired seven of JU’s batters in a row as Florida headed to the seventh. Luethje pitched 3.1 innings and gave up just two hits while allowing no runs.
David Luethje works a 1-2-3 fifth inning and the #Gators come back to the dugout.
Due up: Acton, Fabian, Reese
E5 | #Gators 3, JU 4
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) February 27, 2019
Meanwhile, the Gators tied the game in the top of the seventh. Austin Langworthy singled, went to second on a passed ball, and scored on an RBI double by Nelson Maldonado. Maldonado did not start the game and was only in because starting right fielder Wil Dalton was ejected for arguing balls and strikes and shortly after, Gator coach Kevin O’Sullivan was also ejected.
TIE GAME!!!
Nelly drives a double to the RCF wall and Langworthy comes around from second to score.
T7 | #Gators 4, JU 4 pic.twitter.com/mGRXm2Ft0W
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) February 27, 2019
Christian Scott relieved Luethje and also pitched well, throwing 2.2 innings while allowing just one hit.
Freshman Lead to Extra-Inning Win
Scott worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning and the game went into extra innings. Freshman Jud Fabian delivered a double to right center that scored Cory Acton from first to give Florida the lead, 5-4 in the top of the 10th inning.
#Gators take the lead!!!
Jud Fabian with a double to RCF and Cory Acton (walked) scores from first.
T10 | #Gators 5, JU 4 pic.twitter.com/ZlvFp1hlaK
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) February 27, 2019
The Gators went to the bullpen and brought out freshman closer Nolan Crisp who retired the Dolphins in order in the inning to earn his fifth save of the young season.
Crisp closes it out!!! That's 5 saves for the freshman.#Gators win 5-4 in 10 innings to beat Jacksonville. pic.twitter.com/dDJPCfDabN
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) February 27, 2019
He is a quarter of the way to former Florida closer Michael Byrne’s single season save record (19) just nine games into the season. After the win, Gator coach Kevin O’Sullivan spoke about the two freshman pitchers who kept the Gators in the ballgame.
“It really goes back to David Luethje and Christian Scott, two freshmen, threw six scoreless, and obviously Nolan did his thing at the end of the game. It was really the three freshmen pitchers and a big hit by Fabian that kept us in the ballgame,” said O’Sullivan.
Up Next
Florida returns to Gainesville to begin a 14-game home-stand on Wednesday night against UCF at 6 p.m. You can tune in to ESPN 98.1/850 AM WRUF for all the coverage of Wednesday’s match up starting at 5:55 p.m.
