LSU Gold

Florida Wins Baseball Series Opener, 19-3

by LSUsports.net (@LSUsports)
Box Score +0
Florida Wins Baseball Series Opener, 19-3

BATON ROUGE — Florida senior first baseman Matt LaPorta connected for two homers and drove in six runs and left fielder Chris Petrie hit a grand slam as the Gators defeated LSU, 19-3, on Friday night at Alex Box Stadium.

The Tigers (28-22-1, 11-13-1 SEC) fell into a tie for eighth overall in the Southeastern Conference standings. The 19-3 margin of defeat represented the worst loss for LSU at home since losing to South Alabama by the same score in the final game of the 1977 season.

Florida (26-25, 13-12) won its first game in Alex Box Stadium since 1999. The Gators pounded out 21 hits and four homers, and eight of Florida’s nine starters tallied multiple hits. 

Game 2 of the series is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday. LSU junior left-hander Charlie Furbush (3-7, 4.84) will oppose Florida junior righty Bryan Augenstein (5-5, 5.98).

Junior right-hander Jared Bradford (10-3), making his first Friday night start of the season, suffered his first loss since March 31 at Alabama. Bradford allowed eight runs on six hits in two innings of work while walking none and striking out two on 54 pitches.

“It was like a nightmare in that first inning,” said LSU head coach Paul Mainieri. “Jared is human. He’s not a robot. He went out there and did the best he could, but he just didn’t pitch as well as he has all year. He got a lot of pitches up. He didn’t have good command.”

Florida built an 8-1 lead against Bradford after two innings. Right fielder Brian Leclerc drove in the game’s first run with an RBI single. Petrie culminated a five-run first with a two-out grand slam over the right field wall.
First baseman Sean Ochinko put LSU on the board in the bottom of the first with a run-scoring groundout, but the Gators responded with three more runs in the second. LaPorta delivered an RBI single, and third baseman Jon Townsend belted a two-run homer.

Florida put the game away with another five-run frame in the third against reliever Kyle Beerbohm. LaPorta crushed the first of his two homers into left centerfield. Catcher Cody Neer drove in Leclerc with a double, and another run scored on a Jared Mitchell error.

Florida starter Kyle Mullaney (4-1) scattered eight hits and gave up just three runs in eight innings of work. Mullaney walked one and struck out three en route to picking up his fourth win.

LSU designated hitter Nicholas Pontiff, who was 3-for-4, had an RBI single in the fifth. Shortstop Michael Hollander plated LSU’s other run on a fielder’s choice groundout.

The Gators put the finishing touches on the win with their third five-run inning of the night in the eighth inning against reliever Matt Jackson. LaPorta launched his SEC-leading 19th homer with a towering, three-run shot to highlight the uprising.

Florida 19, LSU 3 (May 11, 2007 at Baton Rouge, La.)
———————————————————————-
Florida………….  530 501 050  – 19 21  2      (26-25, 13-12 SEC)
LSU…………….. 100 020 000  –  3  8  2      (28-22-1, 11-13-1 SEC)
———————————————————————-
Pitchers: Florida – Kyle Mullaney; J.K. LaCoste(9).
LSU – Jared Bradford; Kyle Beerbohm(3); Matt Jackson(4).
Win-Kyle Mullaney(4-1)  Loss-Jared Bradford(10-3)  T-3:04  A-7582
HR UF – Matt LaPorta 2 (19); Jon Townsend (6); Chris Petrie (2).