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The third ranked Gator (30-5) baseball team took down fourth ranked Florida State (22-9) 8-2 Tuesday in Tallahassee to sweep the season series over the Seminoles. Florida took down FSU 6-0 at home and 3-2 in Jacksonville earlier this season. The Gators also extend their winning streak over the Seminoles to five games dating back to last season.
Dalton Guthrie, Peter Alonso, and JJ Schwarz led the Gators with three hits each while combining for five of the team’s eight RBI’s. Buddy Reed opened up the scoring in the first frame with an RBI grounder. This makes the Gators undefeated at 14-0 when scoring in the first inning and 19-1 when being the first team to score. Florida made it 2-0 in the second on an RBI double by Guthrie.
Guthrie had an RBI single in the fourth to make it 3-0 and the Seminoles scored a run in the bottom of the frame. In the fifth, Schwarz plated a run with a hit and he hit a solo homer in the eighth as well. The Gators put the game out of reach with a three run ninth inning, scoring all their runs after two were out. Schwarz, Jonathan India and Ryan Larson each picked up an RBI.
The Gators never trailed in this game. On the mound, freshman Jackson Kowar made his second start against the Seminoles this season. He pitched a solid four innings giving up just three hits and one run on a home run. He also struck out seven batters while only walking two. Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan says he liked how his team’s offense looked tonight in supporting the good pitching.
He did not pick up the win in this game though; Frank Rubio got the win coming out of the bullpen to collect his second win of the season. The bullpen gave up just one run and three hits in the final five innings. O’Sullivan says the bullpen did what it was supposed to tonight.
Up next the Orange and Blue head to Fayetteville to take on Arkansas in a three game series. AJ Puk is scheduled to get the start on Thursday after missing two scheduled starts due to a back injury. First pitch Thursday is scheduled for 9 P.M.
