GAINESVILLE, Fla. — No. 5 Vanderbilt dropped Game 2 at No. 7 Florida, 6-2, on Saturday night at Condron Ballpark.
The Commodores scored two runs on five hits while the Gators pushed across six runs on 10 hits.
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Devin Futrell threw five pitches in the bottom of the first before the game was suspended for an hour and 16 minutes due to rain. Futrell came back out after the delay and retired the side in order.
Florida struck first with a solo homer in the bottom of the third off the bat of Cade Kurland.
RJ Austin answered with a no-doubt, 419-foot solo home run to lead off the top of the fifth, evening the score at 1-1. The freshman now has six homers on the season.
Austin sends it to the swamp 🤯#VandyBoys | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/pOXdljbrqg
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) May 14, 2023
The Gators retook the lead in the home half of the fifth. Back-to-back singles followed by a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with one out. Wyatt Langford then doubled to left-center to bring two runs across and put the home side up 3-1.
Futrell exited the game after 4.1 innings. He struck out seven batters to match his season high.
Florida pushed two more runs across in the fifth off a sac fly and a two-out single to lead by four.
The Gators made it 6-1 with a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.
Vanderbilt scratched a run across in the top of the eighth. Davis Diaz and RJ Schreck hit back-to-back singles with one out to put a pair on base for Chris Maldonado. Maldonado then hit into a fielder’s choice with Florida getting the out at second but an error on the throw to first allowed Diaz to come around to score, cutting Florida’s lead to 6-2.
The Commodores and Gators meet at noon CT on Sunday for the series finale on SECN+.
