Florida Eliminates Bethune-Cookman From Regional

The Florida baseball team (45-18) set two Florida NCAA post-season records on the way to handing Bethune-Cookman (39-22) a 21-10 loss and eliminting them from the NCAA Regional in Gainesville. The Gators set records for most RBI and most runs scored in a NCAA post-season game.

Florida started with a big first inning. Playing as the visiting team, the Gators scored four unearned runs on one hit and three Bethune-Cookman errors. Lead off batter, Mark Kiger popped up to second base. Aaron Davidson reached base on an error by thirdbaseman Jose Ramos. Pat Osborn followed reaching first on an error by the shortstop Wes Timmons. Wildcat pitcher Jason Dooley loaded the bases by walking Ryan Shealy. Davidson scored on a fielder's choice play. Ben Harrison was safe on the play and Shealy was out at second. Mario Garza reached base on balls. Aaron Sobieraj used a hard hit single to score Osborn and Harrison and advance Garza to third. Garza scored on an error by the short stop, for a 4-0 Florida lead. The Gators added two more runs for a 6-0 lead in the third inning. Shealy led off the inning with his 22nd home run of the season. He is now only one away from Brad Wilkerson's school record for home runs in a season. Harrison reached base on an error by the Wildcat firstbaseman. He stole second and third and scored on the RBI single by Sobieraj. Bethune-Cookman considerably narrowed the gap in the bottom of the third. Pedro Pichardo led off with a base hit. Simmons followed with a bunt single. Both runners advanced on the sacrifice bunt by Rusty Moore. Timmons hit a two RBI single to score the runners, advanced to second on the throw and advanced to third on a throwing error by Gator centerfielder Jake Rioedan. Timmons scored on the sacrifice fly by Jose Ramos to make the score 6-3 Florida. Two straight walks by Florida starter Jimmy Ramshaw out two more Wildcat runner son base with two outs in the inning. Oscar Folks III drove a double down the right field line to score the two runners and bring the Wildcats within one at 6-5. The Gators added to their lead in the top of the fourth. Riordan led off the inning with a walk. Kiger followed with a base hit down the left field line. Both he and riordan advanced a base on a wild pitch. Davidson drove them in with a two RBI single. Davidson advanced to second on the throw. At that point, Cesar Montes de Oca came in to replace Wildcat starting pitcher, Dooley. He got the first out of the inning as Osborn flew out to right field. Shealy was hit with a pitch to put two Gator runners on. Garza slammed a home run out to the left field bleachers to put Florida up 11-5. Florida added five more runs in the fifth to take a 16-5 lead. Brian Rose came in when Davidson drew a bases loaded walk. Osborn hit the fifth Gator grand slam of the season for the 11 run lead. The Wildcats brought in Nelson Montes de Oca to finish the inning. Bethune-Cookman added three runs of its own in the bottom of the sixth inning. Carlos Burgos started the rally with a single to left. Pichardo followed with another single. With one out in the inning, Moore drove the fourth home run of the day by either team out in right field, making the score 16-8 in favor of Florida. Florida continued the scoring in the seventh inning. Shealy led off with a double. Harrison scored Shealy with a single to right field. Harrison advanced to second as the right fielder bobbled the ball. Garza had Florida's third consecutive hit of the inning. Harrison scored on the sacrifice fly by Sobieraj, but the Wildcat left fielder dropped the ball to allow Sobieraj on base. Garza and Sobieraj scored on Riordan triple to centerfield. Riordan scored on a passed ball for the fifth Gator run of the inning and the 21-8 lead. Bethune-Cookman added two more runs in the bottom of the ninth as Sylvannah Dean hit a home run with a runner on to make the score 21-10. The Wildcats used seven pitchers, but starting pitcher Dooley took the loss. His record stands at 9-6 on the season. Florida starter Jimmy Ramshaw earned the win. His record improves to 6-3 on the saeson. Connor Falkenbach earned his first save of the season. Florida and Miami are the only teams remaining in the regional. They will play at 1 p.m. tomorrow. Miami has a 2-0 record in the regional, while Florida's record is 2-1. Should the Gators win the first game, a second game to determine who will advance to the super regional. That game will begin one hour after the conclusion of the first game.