Freshman right-hander Fisher Jameson fired four innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts in his second-career outing in the defeat.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – After clinching the series on Saturday, Florida came up short in the finale as Kentucky prevailed by a score of 8-1 at Condron Family Ballpark on Sunday afternoon.
The Wildcats (24-20, 7-14 SEC) struck first with a Daniel Harris IV sacrifice fly in the opening frame, as Chase Estep crossed home to opening the score. Florida starter Ryan Slater<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D15105&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=-U8QyFAmlkKcVzpipiuMFjJpb_17u9wSV_gRGHeLKJU-nFav0Xo9_0YWyIrT0moe&s=vqC2YwN3Di34vHJHHqqvpsPw82r96VvHOT_E_uzZ8Uc&e= > produced a scoreless inning in the second while picking up his first strikeout.
The Gators (25-18, 8-13 SEC) responded in the bottom of the second, as Josh Rivera<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D15104&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=-U8QyFAmlkKcVzpipiuMFjJpb_17u9wSV_gRGHeLKJU-nFav0Xo9_0YWyIrT0moe&s=pQ4aYDffEszOzewxuktXOvDTwAhopD75xtVcNosBwfg&e= > extended his on-base streak to 17 games with a leadoff single to right field. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Rivera came in to score on a Colby Halter<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D15096&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=-U8QyFAmlkKcVzpipiuMFjJpb_17u9wSV_gRGHeLKJU-nFav0Xo9_0YWyIrT0moe&s=t945gmWg7_adqbNlRPR4oyW3cJBxoSTfPpKlqsmMbGI&e= > RBI single to center, tying the game at one run apiece.
Jacob Plastiak gave Kentucky the lead back in the third, homering to center field on an 0-1 count to make it a 2-1 ballgame. The Wildcats added to their advantage in the fourth, with John Thrasher connecting on a two-run homer to left that plated Ryan Ritter.
Freshman right-hander Fisher Jameson<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D15120&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=-U8QyFAmlkKcVzpipiuMFjJpb_17u9wSV_gRGHeLKJU-nFav0Xo9_0YWyIrT0moe&s=gwk7h6IKpsr_zgBPDLtbEPqOWj4xF9yNwBFn9scmcP8&e= > relieved Slater in the fourth and quickly worked Florida out of the inning. The Lake Worth, Fla. native proceeded to retire the side in the order the following half inning while notching his second strikeout. Jameson ultimately tossed four innings of one-run ball on two hits while striking out a career-high five batters.
Kentucky added a fifth run in the eighth, as Harris IV drove in Plastiak with an RBI single to center. The Wildcats later put the game on ice in the ninth, scoring three runs highlighted by a two-run homer off the bat of Adam Fogel.
Slater dropped to 2-3 on the year, throwing 3 1/3 innings with four earned runs allowed on seven hits with one strikeout to his credit.
Kentucky starting pitcher Sean Harney (5-3) earned the win, going seven innings with one earned run allowed on five hits, one walk and three hit batters. He struck out seven.
Halter (2-for-4) was the lone Gator to collects multiple hits in game three.
NOTABLES
* Jameson notched career highs with four innings pitched and five strikeouts.
* He opened his career with 4 2/3 perfect innings before allowing a baserunner.
* Florida is now 146-71-1 all-time against Kentucky.
* The Gators are 64-39-1 vs. the Wildcats at home.
* Florida has won 11 of the last 15 meetings including six of the previous eight.
* The Gators saw their five-game winning streak over the Wildcats come to an end.
* Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_coaches.aspx-3Frc-3D1445&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=-U8QyFAmlkKcVzpipiuMFjJpb_17u9wSV_gRGHeLKJU-nFav0Xo9_0YWyIrT0moe&s=rSQ9mNkgHtT1LL8rdR57aa1rXQPhNyuboTfPKqsCHmw&e= > is 25-20 vs. Kentucky.
* That includes a 12-9 mark at home.
* Rivera extended his team-leading on-base streak to 17 games.
* Thompson extended his on-base streak to 13 games, but his team-leading eight-game hitting streak was snapped.
FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O’SULLIVAN
On the series as a whole…
“I think we played better this weekend overall. Anytime you win a series you have to be doing something right. Although we put ourselves in a position where now we are trying to collect as many wins as possible. With that being said, we still control our own destiny. Today did not go the way we wanted it to, but we knew it was not going to be easy. Their starter did a really good job. He’s been pitching good the past month or so and kept us off the board other than the one run we scored in the second with Colby Halter<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D15096&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=-U8QyFAmlkKcVzpipiuMFjJpb_17u9wSV_gRGHeLKJU-nFav0Xo9_0YWyIrT0moe&s=t945gmWg7_adqbNlRPR4oyW3cJBxoSTfPpKlqsmMbGI&e= > with single back up the middle.”
On looking ahead…
“We have put ourselves in this position. We’ve got nine of these games left and everything we want is still in front of us… Fisher Jameson<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D15120&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=-U8QyFAmlkKcVzpipiuMFjJpb_17u9wSV_gRGHeLKJU-nFav0Xo9_0YWyIrT0moe&s=gwk7h6IKpsr_zgBPDLtbEPqOWj4xF9yNwBFn9scmcP8&e= > pitched really well today and kept the score four to one for four innings and did a really nice job. Hopefully we’ll build off of that. That was a positive for us today.”
On Colby Halter<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D15096&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=-U8QyFAmlkKcVzpipiuMFjJpb_17u9wSV_gRGHeLKJU-nFav0Xo9_0YWyIrT0moe&s=t945gmWg7_adqbNlRPR4oyW3cJBxoSTfPpKlqsmMbGI&e= >…
“We’ve got to hit up and down the entire lineup, but obviously this was a big day for Colby. Hopefully he’ll build on this moving forward.”
UP NEXT
Florida hosts South Florida on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.
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