Gators Baseball Ruffles Feathers in Win vs. FAU Owls
Four pitchers. Four hits. Zero runs.
No. 9 Florida shut out FAU, 4-0, with a combination of timely hits and defensive outs Tuesday at Condron Family Ballpark to extend its win streak to 12 games.
After Sunday’s series finale at now-No. 24 Miami was canceled due to inclement weather, Cooper Walls took the mound for a controlled start against the Owls (6-6). Walls (2-0) pitched two innings, allowing one hit and no runs. He is in line to start Sunday against High Point.
“That was one of the cleanest games we’ve played all year long, against a quality opponent,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “You’ve seen Florida Atlantic play over the years, they’re a very quality program and if you don’t play well, you’re not gonna win.”
In the first inning, catcher Karson Bowen singled up the middle, scoring sophomore Kyle Jones to give Florida (12-1) a 1-0 lead for his sixth RBI of the season.
Brendan Lawson continued his strong start, hitting his sixth home run – a solo shot to center field – in the third inning to double Florida’s lead. Florida turned to its bullpen with seven innings remaining, beginning with junior Russell Sandefer. The first two batters he faced reached base, putting runners on first and second with no outs.
Marshall Lipsey’s sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third with one out. However, Sandefer struck out the next two batters looking to escape the jam.
“I’m really starting to see the bullpen come together,” O’Sullivan said. “If there’s one knock on our ‘pen, if we can get one more left hander to help us other than Ernie (Ernesto Lugo-Canchola).”
Freshman Colton Schwarz made his fourth appearance of the season and provided run support in the fourth inning with runners on first and second. A double steal led to FAU catcher Ian Collier overthrowing third baseman Nick Romano, allowing Blake Cyr to score on the error. With one out and Cole Stanford on third, Schwarz grounded out to second, bringing Stanford home and extending the lead to 4-0.
“I think what we’re trying to do is be a little more aggressive on the basepaths,” O’Sullivan said. “There’s certain things that have to be in place for you to be able to do a double steal. Number one is you have to have some guys who can run on the base paths.”
Right-hander Schuyler Sandford dominated in relief, striking out five over three innings. He recorded three consecutive strikeouts in the seventh inning.
“This pitching staff is really good,” said Sandford, who missed last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. “We’ve got a lot of guys. We’re super deep. A lot of guys are just pounding the zone, trusting their defense, and it’s showing.”
FAU entered the game after opening the season with 11 consecutive home games and coming off a three-game sweep of Villanova in which they scored 37 runs. Tuesday’s contest was a different story.
FAU finished with four hits in its first scoreless game of the season. Florida pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts and three walks in the Gators’ third shutout of the season.
Senior Patrick Ward pinch-hit with a runner on first in the ninth but grounded into a double play to end the game.
Florida returns to action Wednesday against Florida A&M at 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network+ and on 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF at 6:25 p.m.). The Gators hold a 32-1 all-time record in the series and have won 11 straight meetings. Florida A&M (3-8) is 0-3 on the road this season.
“I don’t care who our opponent is,” O’Sullivan said. “We’ve got to take care of our business and show maturity and professionalism regardless of who we play.”
Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Baseball
