AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Wednesday afternoon was an absolutely wild day filled with ups and downs for both dugouts as the Gators (7-3) split a doubleheader against no. 21 St. Olaf; losing the opening game 14-15, and winning the second game 10-4.
The downs came early for the Gators as the Oles (10-2) jumped on game one starter Frank Brank, touching him up for six runs to take a commanding 6-0 lead before the Gators even touched a bat. Rookie Mike Pezzone came on in relief of Brank in the first inning and picked up the final two outs of the opening frame. In the top of the second, Pezzone would induce an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play and pitch a perfect top of the third inning.
With one out in the top of the fourth inning, the Oles reached base on a fielding error by Pezzone. After that error, the next five batters would reach base safely as the Oles seemingly put the game out of reach with a five-run fourth inning, and taking an 11-1 lead. To that point in the game, the Gators had yet to record a hit off Oles starter Jake Schmiesing despite plating a run in the bottom of the second.
The Gators would add a run in the bottom of the fourth, but the Oles remained in control and added three more runs in the top of the sixth to take their largest lead of the game, 14-2. Down 12 runs with only team two at-bats remaining, the Gators' bats woke up in a major way. In the bottom of the sixth, the Gators sent 12 batters to the plate and exploded for seven runs in the inning. The inning got started as Matt Stahl drew a leadoff walk, but the Oles were able to strikeout Mike Pereslucha immediately after Stahl's free pass. That would be the last out the Oles would record for a while as the next eight batters would reach base safely, five of which collected hits, and four of those were for extra bases.
The hits kept coming in the last half of the seventh inning with the Gators now trailing 15-9 after the Oles added an insurance run in the top of the inning. For the second consecutive inning, the Gators batted around their lineup and in do so, placed the tying run in scoring position with one out before their improbable comeback was ended on a game-ending 4-6-3 double play. In the final two innings of the first game, the Gators scored 12 runs on nine hits.
After mounting the comeback, the confidence and hits carried over into game two. Both teams played a scoreless first inning, but the Gators, now the visiting team, struck first with six runs in the second inning. In that inning, the Gators batted around for the third time that day. Making a start in left field, Phil Morrissette got the inning started with a chopped that sailed over the first baseman's head for a single. Morrissette would advance to second base on a failed pickoff attempt by the pitcher, and Zach Nichols would follow with a single of his own placing runners on the corners with no one out. Jon Boyd was next and cashed in Morrissette with a single to right field. With runners on first and second base with no one out, Aaron Lynch would sacrifice himself with a bunt moving both Nichols and Boyd into scoring position. The Gators would string together three more consecutive singles before recording another out.
Unlike the first game, the 6-0 early lead would be more than enough as rookie Kyle Davis toed the rubber as the starting pitcher and worked 6.0 effective innings, giving up eight hits, three runs, walked four, and struck out six. Senior David Strawser came on for an inning of relief to close out the game. After the 10-4 win for the Gators, Davis was the winning pitcher. The win is his third in as many starts, and Davis also picked up a save in the Gators upset win over, at the time, no.3 UW-Stevens Point.
The Gators play one more game before heading back north tomorrow morning against regional opponent Union College. First pitch is scheduled at 9:00 a.m. The game can be followed through Allegheny Baseball Live Stats.