GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The combination of solid pitching and a four-run fifth inning proved to be the difference as Florida State’s (41-22) season came to a close with a 7-0 setback to in-state rival Florida (52-14) in the 2016 Gainesville Super Regional on Monday evening at McKethan Stadium.
The Seminoles, who finished the game with five hits, were kept off-balance by Florida’s pitching combination of A.J. Puk, Dane Dunning and Shaun Anderson, which scattered five hits and six walks over eight innings.
Among the five FSU batters with at least one hit was senior captain John Sansone, who finished his final game with a 1-for-4 performance. Sansone, selected in the eighth round in last week’s Major League Baseball Draft by the Cincinnati Reds, capped off his FSU career with 242 hits, 192 runs, 64 doubles and 21 home runs.
The remaining four hits came from the combination of Cal Raleigh (1-3), Dylan Busby (1-4), Quincy Nieporte (1-4) and Ben DeLuzio (1-3).
“It’s a ballgame in which you tip your hat to Florida,” said head coach Mike Martin. “They got in a little trouble in the first inning, and got out of it. You have to tip your hat to them; they did a tremendous job. On behalf of our program, we want to thank the University of Florida for a tremendous job with what they did here with this tournament.
“I’m proud of these young men and what they accomplished this year; it was a good year,” Martin added. “Obviously when you don’t get to Omaha, it’s a disappointment, but we’re not taking anything away from what this ball club accomplished.”
FSU’s sent six pitchers to the mound, including starter Cole Sands, who ends his freshman campaign 6-7 after yielding five hits, two runs—one earned—and two walks. The right-handed hurler also came through with four strikeouts to move his total to 50 on the season.
Sands was followed on the mound by Jim Voyles and Alec Byrd, who combined to surrender six hits and five runs over the next 2.1 innings.
Chase Haney, Tyler Warmoth and Andrew Karp were the remaining three pitchers to toe the rubber for the Seminoles, limiting the Gators to two hits and one walk over the final 2.1 innings.
Florida’s Dalton Guthrie opened the bottom of the first with a single to right field, quickly advancing to third when an error at shortstop allowed Buddy Reed to reach first. Three batters later, with JJ Schwarz at the plate, a wild pitch by Sands skated past Raleigh and allowed Guthrie to advance from third for the 1-0 advantage.
The Gators stretched their lead to 2-0 in the third when Peter Alonso sent a two out solo home run over the left field wall.
UF extended its lead in the fifth after a pair of back-to-back singles by Guthrie and Reed to lead off the frame. Alonso loaded the bases for the Gators when he was struck on the shoulder. Schwarz followed by sending a 1-0 pitch by Voyles over the left field wall for the 6-0 advantage.
A two-out single to left field by Reed extended the sixth for the Gators. Reed bolted to third on a single through the right side by Alonso, putting runners on the corners. Schwarz recorded his fifth RBI of the game when he sent a double into right field, scoring Reed from third for the seventh and final run of the ballgame.
Seminole fans can always stay up-to-date with the Florida State Baseball team by following the official twitter page of the Seminoles (@FSUBaseball).
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