3/15/2011 11:46:40 PM
Florida had lost four-straight to Florida State entering Tuesday's contest in Gainesville, Fla. And for much of the game, it appeared the Seminoles were destined to extend the streak to five games.
That's when Florida outfielder Daniel Pigott rose to the occasion, knocking in the tying runs and game-winning run on the way to a thrilling and hard-fought 5-4 triumph.
The victory sets the stone for what should a fabulous weekend series to begin SEC play at LSU this weekend.
Here are some thoughts from Tuesday's college baseball action:
* Pigott was the man of the night for the Gators on the way to their victory over the Seminoles, but several others also had huge performances. Designated hitter Brian Johnson collected two hits in the game, and relief pitcher Anthony DeSclafani threw two perfect innings to end the game. On the downside for UF, starting pitcher Alex Panteliodis allowed three runs on five hits in just 2 1/3 innings. Beating FSU on Tuesday was huge for the morale of the Gators moving forward.
* Purdue made a small statement last week when it defeated Louisville in midweek action, but lightning didn't strike twice against Vanderbilt on Tuesday. Vandy starting pitcher Kevin Ziomek allowed just two hits in five shutout innings as the Commodores defeated the Boilermakers 9-0. Vandy reliever Jack Armstrong, a solid prospect, also did some nice things, striking out three batters in the ninth inning. VU third baseman Jason Esposito led the way at the plate with three hits, one a home run and four RBIs. Vandy will enter SEC play in great shape.
* Arizona State hasn't had right-handed pitcher Brady Rodgers for three weeks, but he made a valiant return to the mound Tuesday night in a 6-2 win over highly ranked Oklahoma. Rodgers struck out five batters and allowed just one hit in three scoreless innings. Relievers Alex Blackford and Trevor Williams also performed at a high level in the winning cause. Getting Rodgers back in form is huge for ASU.
* South Carolina had to experience a two-game losing streak at some point this season. It might as well happen before SEC play begins. The Gamecocks suffered a 4-2 setback to Furman on Tuesday, and much credit should go to Furman starting pitcher DAniel Stallsmith. Stallsmith allowed just two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings on the way to a victory. For the Gamecocks, starting pitcher Adam Westmoreland was touched for two runs in just two innings.
* Texas State really could've used a win over Texas on Tuesday to bolster its resume, but the Longhorns were having none of that. The 'Horns got a fantastic start from freshman left-handed pitcher Kirby Bellow on the way to a 3-1 triumph. Bellow struck out three and allowed just a hit in 3 1/3 scoreless innings. The man of the day was freshman reliever Corey Knebel, who touched 96 mph in the ninth inning. He finished the game by striking out all three hitters in the ninth inning. He's a name to watch the rest of the season.
* After getting rocked by Cal State Fullerton in a midweek affair last season, Texas A&M was looking for revenge Tuesday when the teams met again. The Aggies got their revenge. Starting pitcher Ross Stripling struck out five and allowed just three hits in seven shutout innings, while ace John Stilson came in relief for the final two outs and was clocked between 94-96 mph in the 2-0 victory. Fullerton wasted a solid start from Jake Floethe, who struck out three and allowed just two runs on seven hits in seven innings.
* Arizona needs to figure out its bullpen before Pac-10 play begins. The Wildcats had a 5-1 lead over Wichita State headed to the bottom of the eighth inning, but fell apart and allowed four runs in the eighth and ninth innings combined to head to extra innings. There, the Shockers extended the Wildcats' bullpen woes with a 6-5 victory. Wildcats reliever Bryce Bandilla, a solid prospect, walked five and allowed three runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings. Not the performance the Wildcats were looking for from Bandilla.
* When first-round pick Dylan Covey decided to go to college at San Diego, it was expected that he would follow the same path as UCLA's Gerrit Cole, TCU's Matt Purke and now Florida's Karten Whitson. But Covey, so far at least, has deviated from those guys' path. Covey had another iffy start on Tuesday, this time against Coastal Carolina. He allowed five runs on six hits in three innings to earn his second loss in an 8-3 setback. As for the Toreros as a whole, they're now 4-10 and reeling like no other, especially offensively.
* Georgia Tech's consistency has been a surprise this season. It continued on Tuesday with an impressive 4-3 win over Georgia Southern. Freshman right-handed pitcher Matt Grimes put together a solid start, allowing just two runs on four hits in six innings, while reliever Luke Bard struck out five and allowed just a run on two hits in three innings. It's hard not to like this Yellow Jackets club moving forward. They have the arms and just enough hitting to get the job done each time out.
* Auburn and Alabama played in front of 7,492 fans in Montgomery, Ala., and the huge crowd was given a solid contest the Tigers won 2-1. Auburn pitchers Will Irvin, Bradley Hendrix, Andrew Morris and Zach Blatt combined for solid performances, while Alabama wasted a great outing from sophomore left-handed pitcher Taylor Wolfe, who struck out eight and allowed just two runs on four hits in six innings.
* Baylor suddenly is playing a fantastic brand of baseball. The Bears handed Florida International a 7-6 setback on Tuesday when Chris Slater hit an RBI walkoff single in the 11th to notch the Baylor victory. The win gave Bears' head coach Steve Smith his 600th career victory. It's also worth noting that BU relievers Brad Kuntz, Max Garner and Brooks Pinckard rose to the occasion out of the bullpen. BU has now won seven-straight games while FIU ends its Lone Star State trip with a dismal 1-4 record.
* Other notables: Southern California continued its winning ways with a solid 4-3 win over Louisville, East Carolina got by Elon on the road by a score of 4-3 and TCU dropped a 3-2 contest to Texas-Arlington.