The Gators return home for four games next week
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Sunday matinee turned into a tale of the long-ball as the teams combined for seven home runs on Sunday at a gusty Founders Park. No. 25 South Carolina (16-6, 4-2 SEC) scored six of their eight runs via the home run to earn the series sweep with an 8-5 victory.
No. 5-ranked Florida (16-8, 3-3 SEC) scored all five of their runs on extra-base hits, including three on two homers in their six-hit effort.
Freshman outfielder Sterlin Thompson gave the Gators the early lead. The newcomer, who was hitting the ball hard all weekend with not much to show for it, recorded his first career home run with a liner that left the park in a hurry over the wall in right field.
After three solo shots by the Gamecocks in the second and another in the third to take a 4-1 advantage, the Gators got two back in the fourth. Third baseman Kirby McMullen connected on his sixth home run of the season, sailing the ball well over the wall in dead-center to plate second-year freshman Nathan Hickey.
Ultimately, South Carolina pulled away with a four-run sixth on the strength of a two-run shot off the bat of NCAA home run leader Brady Allen – his second of the afternoon – and a two-run double off the top of the wall by George Calil.
The Gators tried to come back into the game in the eighth down, 8-3, when Hickey ripped a two-out, two-run double off the wall in left-center to score freshman Jordan Carrion and third-year sophomore Jacob Young.
Will Sanders (4-1) earned the win for the Gamecocks, allowing three runs – two earned on two hits while striking out six in his four-inning start. Hunter Barco (3-2) was tagged with the loss, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out five in five innings.
The Gators will return to Florida Ballpark for four games next week. UF will host Mercer on Tuesday, March 30 and then welcome Ole Miss for a three-game set on Thursday, April 1. The Tuesday night contest against the Bears will begin at 6 p.m. on SEC Network+ and available on ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM WRUF.
