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#19 Florida Defeats #24 Vanderbilt, 5-3 4/23/2004
#19 Florida Defeats #24 Vanderbilt, 5-3 GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators took advantage of two Commodore errors and scored five unanswered runs in a come-from-behind 5-3 win over Vanderbilt tonight in McKethan Stadium. The Commodores are 27-11, 7-9 in the SEC, while Florida is now 29-12, 9-7 in league action. Vanderbilt took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Ryan Klosterman scored on a Warner Jones double. The Commodores added two in the fourth when Tony Mansolino hit a two-run home run 401 feet over the center field wall for a 3-0 lead. The Gators scored one in the fourth when Adam Davis scored on a Ben Harrison sacrifice fly to center field. With two away in the fifth, Austin Easley singled to right field and advanced to second when Jonathan Tucker reached base after being hit by a pitch. Jeremy Sowers then overthrew Cesar Nicolas at first base on an attempted pickoff that scored Easley. “It was a mistiming — we tried a pickoff play and I made a bad throw,” Sowers said. Florida added two in the sixth inning to take the lead for good. C.J. Smith was hit by a pitch and Harrison singled to right field. Jon Skorupski bunted down the third base line and Sowers’ throw to third was off the mark enabling Smith to score and tie the game at 3-3. Harrison then scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Matt LaPorte to take a 4-3 lead. “They were two urgent plays in which the baserunners were right on top of it. The played big in the course of the game,” Head Coach Tim Corbin said. “It’s just something you can do on the road,” Sowers said about the two errors. Sowers went 7.0 innings and gave up four runs, one earned on five hits. He struck out six and walked two. Sophomore right-hander Matt Buschmann came in relief in the eighth inning and gave up one run when Smith scored on a Jeff Corsaletti single to left center field. Florida’s Tommy Boss went 4.0 innings giving up three runs (three earned) on six hits while striking out two. Connor Falkenbach came in the fifth and allowed just two Commodore hits and struck out five. “He (Falkenback) did a nice job – he came in and shut the door,” Corbin added. “He was very effective throwing the fast ball inside and outside.” The series continues tomorrow (Saturday) with sophomore right-hander Jensen Lewis on the mound for the Commodores. Game time is 4 pm ET. |
