Postgame Press Conference
Hot Bats Deliver Series Sweep of Georgia State for No. 15 Florida
The Gators racked up a season-high 17 hits while the bullpen provided 5.0 innings of scoreless relief to secure the series sweep.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 15 Florida pounded out a season-high 17 hits to claim the series finale over Georgia State, 12-1, at Florida Ballpark on Sunday afternoon en route to the team’s first series sweep of the season.
With the win, Florida improves to 6-2 on the season and 5-0 across the last week of play.
After picking up 13 runs and 16 hits in game two, the Gators kept the offensive explosion going in game three. Colby Halter led the charge at the dish, finishing with a career-high four hits while going 4-for-6 with one home run, three RBI and two runs scored.
Despite the big day the plate for the Gators (6-2), the Panthers (4-4) scored first in the matinee matchup. After loading the bases, starting pitcher Timmy Manning plunked Josh Smith to force Dalton Pearson home and make it 1-0. That marked the extent of the scoring for Georgia State, as Florida took total control thereafter.
Manning rebounded following the second-inning run, holding the Georgia State offense in check in the third and fourth. That gave the Gators a window to knot up the score, which is precisely what Kendrick Calilao did with a two-out RBI single to left field to plate Josh Rivera in the bottom of the fourth.
Georgia State put runners on first and second to kick off the fifth, prompting Florida to turn to right-handed reliever Nick Ficarrotta. The Palm Harbor, Fla. native needed just four pitches to record a trio of outs, inducing a foul out and a 4-6-3 double play to navigate the Gators out of trouble.
In the fifth, Gator fans took in a moment many arrived at Florida Ballpark hoping to see. With a man on third and a 2-0 count, Jud Fabian connected on a deep home run to left-center field for his first of the year, scoring Halter and giving the Gators a 3-1 lead.
J. Fabian’s long ball sparked the Florida offense, as the Gators erupted for seven runs in the frame to jump out in front, 8-1. After Fabian’s homer, Matt Prevesk collected his first-career RBI with a sacrifice fly to left. Calilao followed with an RBI single up the middle, while Deric Fabian drove in the fifth run of the inning with a single to left field, plating BT Riopelle. Halter capped off the scoring outburst with a two-run double to left center.
Florida brought a season-high 13 batters to the plate in the fifth, scoring seven runs on eight hits. The Orange & Blue added another run in the seventh on a Halter solo home run. Freshman Ty Evans put a bow on the day’s scoring with a pinch-hit, three-run home run in the eighth inning for his first-career hit to bring the score to 12-1.
Following Manning’s exit from the game in the fifth, a foursome of Florida relievers combined for five shutout innings on four hits. Ficarrotta turned the game over to freshman right-handed pitcher Brandon Neely in the sixth, who provided two shutout innings before ceding duties to right-hander Carsten Finnvold and southpaw Ryan Slater. That duo churned out scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth to close the door on the Panthers.
Manning tossed four-plus innings with one earned run allowed on six hits and two walks. He struck out a career-high six batters, while his 4.0 innings of work represented a new high.
Ficarrotta earned his second win of the season, finishing with 1.0 perfect inning of work.
Georgia State starting pitcher Dylan Matela lasted 4.0 innings on the hill with one earned run allowed on five hits and one walk while striking out two. Panthers reliever Rafael Acosta was saddled with the loss after failing to record an out and surrendering four earned runs on four hits.
NOTABLES
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The Gators own a five-game winning streak after going 5-0 this past week.
* Florida outscored Georgia State by a 29-6 margin across the three-game series.
* The Gators out-hit the Panthers, 42-22.
* Halter collected a career-high four hits on his way to a 4-for-6 day at the plate with one home run, three RBI and two runs scored.
* Manning fired a career-high 4.0 innings and notched a new personal best with six strikeouts.
* Making his second-straight start at designated hitter, Prevesk went 1-for-1 with a pair of walks and picked up the first RBI of his young career.
* Fabian hit his first home run of the 2022 campaign in the bottom of the fifth inning after launching 20 home runs last season.
* Florida improves to 13-2 all-time vs. Georgia State including 12-1 at home.
* Florida is 5-0 vs. Georgia State under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan.
* The Gators extend their winning streak over the Panthers to 11-straight games.
* Florida improves to 32-6 across the program’s last-38 regular season games at Florida Ballpark.
* The Gators are 17-3 in their last-20 regular season home games.
* Thompson and Halter extended their season-opening hitting streaks to eight games.
* Halter owns a 10-game hitting streak dating back to last season.
* Freshman Rene Lastres picked up a pinch-hit single in the eighth, improving to 2-for-2 in his career after homering in his first at bat last night.
* Freshman Corey Robinson scored his first-career run following a pinch-hit walk in the eighth inning.
FROM CATCHER BT RIOPELLE
On his speed…
“Definitely not known for my speed. I would say that’s probably the least thing that I am known for, but I’m just trying to play the game hard and do what I can. If that means I have to put a few bunts down and put one in the gap and get an extra base, that’s what I got to do.”
On the 5-0 week…
“Yeah, it’s awesome. It’s good to see a bunch of young guys put together some at bats and progress themselves forward to benefit this team going forward. Also, some older guys struggled a little bit last week, as we talked about. But we moved forward and worked hard this week. We just got the ball rolling.”
On the team’s young pitchers…
“I would say, to start off, it’s pretty remarkable how talented all of them are. It’s not easy to come into any park, but especially your own park with 6,000 people or what not, and come in and throw strikes at a very high level. They’ve come in and done a very good job. I applaud them for it. I’m just here to kind of pat them on the butt and move forward.”
FROM INFIELDER COLBY HALTER
On the upcoming road trip…
“We are not looking too far ahead, but we are excited for Jacksonville. I am, obviously. Then go play UNF. Miami is obviously a series that we had circled on the calendar, so we are really excited for that. It will be a good experience.”
On the freshman hitters…
“Your first college at bats definitely have a lot of emotions run through your mind. It’s a lot of adrenaline and stuff, so it’s good to get that out of the way. I know those guys are going to have to come through for us probably down the stretch. It’s a good experience for sure.”
UP NEXT
Florida has a pair of midweek matchups on tap this week before traveling to Miami for a three-game weekend series. The Gators visit North Florida on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. before hosting Florida A&M on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
