NCAA Championship Selection Show (Click for Info)
Monday, May 31 at 11:30 a.m. CT on ESPN
HOOVER, Ala. – Preston Tucker notched two hits, including a two-run homer to lead No. 4 Florida to a 5-2 win over Vanderbilt Friday night at Regions Park.
With the loss the Commodores were eliminated from the Southeastern Conference tournament and dropped to 41-17 on the year.
The Gators moved to 42-14 and will take on Alabama tomorrow in the tourney semi-finals.
Tonight’s game didn’t start till 9:17 p.m. CT because of rain in the area that caused the first game of the day (Ole Miss-Auburn) to start an hour and 55 minutes later than the scheduled 3 p.m. start.
Bryan Johns, Aaron Westlake and Anthony Gomez each had a pair of hits to lead the team.
The Gators took a 1-0 lead in the third when they loaded the bases by virtue of a walk, infield single and hit batter and scored on a double play grounder by Nolan Fontana.
UF loaded the bases again in the fourth and scored a pair of runs on a slow roller by Brian Johnson that pitcher Jack Armstrong fielded and threw wide of first into right allowing two runs to score.
“I was disappointed in the fourth inning that we couldn’t get out of defensively more than anything,” said Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin. “Couldn’t throw the ball to first base twice, lost composure on the mound and the karma went the other way.”
Preston Tucker’s two-run homer to right in the fifth extended the lead to 5-0.
Armstrong (7-3) allowed five runs, four earned, on four hits in 4.1 innings of work.
Vanderbilt got on the board in the sixth scoring a run on a RBI double by Aaron Westlake. Brian Harris and Bryan Johns walked to lead off the inning and after Jason Esposito flew out to right, Westlake lined a double into the gap in left-center. Joe Loftus then drew a walk to load the bases and Florida went to the bullpen and Greg Larson. He got Andrew Giobbi to ground into his second double play to end the rally.
Randall (7-3) scattered five hits over 5.1 innings, allowing one run while walking three and striking out one.
Brian Harris’ two-out RBI double in the seventh made it 5-2. Bryan Johns then reached on an infield single to put runners on the corners but Esposito grounded to second to end the inning.
The offensive futility continued in the eighth on an inning-ending double play by Curt Casali, the team’s fourth of the night, with runners on first and second.
“Offensively we didn’t get the big hits with the guys in scoring position,” said Corbin. “The kids are working at it, but pressing, and because of that good things don’t happen. Thank God it’s this week, hate to exit this thing so early but it’s not next week and we can regroup.”
Richie Goodenow pitched 3.2 innings of three hit scoreless relief with three strikeouts and a walk and Drew Hayes struck out the side in the ninth in his third straight stellar performance.
The Commodores will return home to find out their NCAA fates on Sunday and Monday. The Regional host sites will be announced on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. CT via the web at http://www.ncaa.com/CWS . The 64-team field will then be announced on Monday at 11:30 a.m. CT on ESPN.
Photo by Jimmy Jones
