Florida baseball third baseman Colby Halter hit a fly ball to center field with two runners in scoring position with only one out in the bottom of the 10th inning. The Gators’ right fielder Ty Evans tagged up at third base as South Carolina’s Evan Stone made the catch. Stone then heaved the ball home that beat him home by a country mile and Gamecocks’ catcher Talmadge LeCroy tagged Evans out. But the baseball popped out of his glove after the tag.
The home plate umpire ruled Evans safe, and Florida will live to fight for another day as it beats the Gamecocks, 2-1, in the opening round of the SEC tournament in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday. The No. 7-seeded Gators advance to the second round where they will play No. 2-seeded Texas A&M on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. EDT.
Through the first three innings, Florida’s lineup only registered two hits and a walk. Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s team then scored its lone run of the game in the fourth inning. Shortstop Joshua Rivera doubled down the right-field line. Designated hitter Jac Caglianone followed by singling to shortstop and then South Carolina committed a throwing error to plate Rivera.
Starter Brandon Sproat outdueled Gamecocks’ starter Will Sanders who went seven innings while only surrendering four hits, three walks and one run that was unearned. Sproat meanwhile went 8 1/3 innings and finished allowing four hits, one earned run and a walk while striking out seven Gamecocks. He also carried a no-hitter until the seventh inning.
South Carolina finally broke through in the ninth inning. O’Sullivan made the gutsy call to stick with Sproat with just over 100 pitches thrown. Second baseman Braylen Wimmer and designated hitter Josiah Sightler singled to put runners on the corner with one out.
Florida then called on reliever Ryan Slater to try to force a ground ball for a double play. Right fielder Andrew Eyster hit a ground ball to Halter but it was too slow with the glove. The Gators only got the…
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