GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Top-ranked Florida used three home runs to beat Vanderbilt 8-2 Sunday at McKethan Stadium and finish a three-game sweep of the teams’ Southeastern Conference opening series.
The Gators (19-1, 3-0) put a run on the board with a solo home run from freshman Taylor Gushue in the second and ran the lead to four runs with a three-run third inning. After a pair of leadoff singles, Nolan Fontana’s groundout to second scored a run and Daniel Piggot’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0 with two outs. However, Preston Tucker’s solo home run to right field capped the rally and gave the Gators a four-run cushion. Casey Turgeon added Florida’s third home run of the day with a solo homer in the fifth. A three-run eighth inning from Florida put the game away.
Vanderbilt (7-13, 0-3) scratched out a run in the sixth when Mike Yastrzemski singled and scored on Anthony Gomez’s double to left. The double pushed Gomez’s hitting streak to 10 games. Andrew Harris knocked in a run in the eighth with a single up the middle. Connor Harrell paced the Commodores with two hits as Vandy out hit Florida 9-7. Turgeon scored two runs and went 2-for-2 to lead Florida.
Gators’ starter Jonathon Crawford (2-1) earned the win with five scoreless innings. The right-hander fanned six and scattered three hits in his SEC debut. Vanderbilt starter Tyler Beede (0-3) was pinned with the loss, giving up five runs on five hits and matching a career-best six strikeouts.
Vanderbilt returns home to host Evansville Tuesday at Hawkins Field at 4 p.m.
