Gator Baseball Gets Hard Fought Win Over Florida Atlantic

The top ranked Gators managed to walk away from a mid-week scuffle with a close 2-1 win over No. 19 FAU. The Gators are now 22-1 on the season extending their winning streak to 16 games. Through the end of last season and to the beginning of this season, the Gators are sitting on 24 home game win streak which breaks the school record. Frank Rubio got the win for the Gators on the mound.

#Gators take down the Owls, 2-1 – Frank Rubio with 1st win of the season and Brady Singer collects 1st career save pic.twitter.com/ff9nx2vyvJ

— Gator Baseball (@GatorsBB) March 23, 2016

The Owls would start strong getting a lead-off homer on the second pitch of the game by Junior Stephen Karr, who was named Conference USA hitter of the week this past weekend. Brett Lashley would come in and follow with a single to left center field. But the Gators would stop the Owls, getting a double play and then a strikeout by Jackson Kowar to end the inning.

The Gators punched the Owls back and got on the board scoring two runs in the second inning with a two-RBI hit to left field fromDeacon Liput and then Nelson Maldonado followed bringing Liput home with a RBI triple.

Having only four hits on the game Nelson says the teams hitting momentum was low and not enough fast balls were being hit.

Dalton Guthrie snagged his fifth stolen base on the season in the 5th inning. Both teams would hold scoring through the 9th inning with great pitching from both teams.

With six strikeouts, Kowar was relieved by Frank Rubio in the 5th inning. Defense would execute yet another double play from second base to shortstop to first to get out of that inning.

Rubio says his main focus was finishing for Kowar and making sure the men on base didn’t reach home. 

Rubio was relieved by Scott Moss in the 6th inning when Moss gets a strikeout to end the inning. Moss would then be relieved by Dane Dunning in the 7th inning and Dunning would come in and get a pair of strikeouts to end the inning. Coach O’Sullivan brought in Kirby Snead and Brady Singer to finish in the 9th. Snead came in and got a quick strikeout and Singer followed in to get the last two outs and secure the 2-1 victory.

O’Sullivan says his pitching strategy in the game against FAU would set the team up for the weekend series against Kentucky. 

FAU starting pitcher David McKay got three strikeouts and their pitching staff earned six strikeouts in total. Devon Carr finished the game for the Owls with the loss going to McKay.

Up next, the Gators head to Lexington to take on the Kentucky Wildcats in a weekend series. Friday’s game is set for 6:30 p.m. and you can hear live coverage on ESPN Gainesville 95.3.