10:03 pm | March 23, 2019 | Go to Source | Author: gatorsports
Special to Gatorsports.com
NASHVILLE, TENN. — No. 8 Vanderbilt put on a dominating baseball performance again Saturday to sweep No. 14 Florida, 14-4.
The Gators (16-10, 1-5 SEC) couldn’t match up in the series, getting outscored 34-6.
“It was a difficult lineup to navigate the whole weekend,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said of Vandy. “They ran seven left-handed hitters out there and we have three right-handed starters. The one takeaway from today, Tyler (Dyson) did throw the ball better. I thought his mechanics were better, he got on top of the ball better. That’s certainly something to build upon.”
Vanderbilt (19-5, 4-2) used a trio of home runs to power past Florida. The Gators took a 2-0 lead in the third inning, but Vanderbilt scored 14 unanswered to put the game away before UF scored again in the ninth inning.
Florida took its first lead of the weekend in the third inning when Brady Smith led off with a solo home run to left field. The Gators added another run when Jacob Young sprinted home on a wild pitch.
After retiring the first nine batters, Dyson (3-1) ran into trouble in the fourth. Cooper Davis started the rally with a bunt single and three batters later Stephen Scott stole the momentum with a grand slam to give the Commodores a 4-2 lead.
Philip Clarke provided the second big swing with a three-run homer in the sixth inning. A sac fly from Julian Infante made it 8-2. The Commodores added two more in the seventh and four in the eighth, including a two-run homer from JJ Bleday.
Florida scored a pair of runs in the ninth on a passed ball and RBI single from Jud Fabian.
The Gators will face Florida State on Tuesday in Jacksonville in the second Fresh from Florida Sunshine Showdown of the season. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. The game will air on the Gators Sports Network and SEC Network+.
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