LEXINGTON, Ky. — Behind a five-hit, three-RBI performance from sophomore Avery Barnes, the 24th-ranked Florida Gators utilized six unearned runs over the final four innings to secure a 13-7 win over the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats, evening the series, on Saturday night at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
In a game that lasted four hours and 20 minutes, both clubs combined for 20 runs and 25 hits. After six innings of perfect defense, both teams combined to commit seven errors over the final 2 ? frames.
Kentucky (29-9, 8-9 Southeastern Conference) suffered just its second home loss of the season, falling to 23-2 on the year in the comforts of Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Barnes led the way for the Gators, going 5-for-6, with three runs scored and three RBI while hitting in the nine-hole after leading off on Friday night. Catcher Hampton Tignor added a 3-for-5 performance.
For the second consecutive game, Florida could not keep UK All-American centerfielder Collin Cowgill off the basepaths. In 10 plate appearances in the series, Cowgill has reached 10 times. After reaching on an error, Cowgill finished 1-for-2 with three runs scored and two walks.
Fellow UK National Player of the Year award candidate Sawyer Carroll added another three-hit game ? his third consecutive – going 3-for-5 with an RBI, improving his average to an SEC-leading .472. Carroll extended his hit streak to 12 games, totaling an RBI in his sixth consecutive game. With 56 RBI in UK?s opening 38 games, Carroll tied his 2007 mark of 56 RBI, needing 54 games a year ago to accomplish that feat a year ago. After hitting three home runs in 2007, Carroll has totaled 12 in 38 games this year.
In UK?s 38 games, Carroll and Cowgill have reached base safely in 37 games.
Brian Spear and Chris Wade charted multi-hit games, with Spear registering a club-best two RBI.
The UF win sets up the rubber match on Sunday, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. ET at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Kentucky will send senior right-hander Greg Dombrowski (4-0, 3.32 ERA) to the hill to face off with Florida southpaw Stephen Locke, who suffered the loss on Friday night after allowing four UK runs in one inning.
Fans can catch the action live on the Big Blue Sports Network, with the Voice of UK Baseball, Neil Price calling the action. In Lexington, the game can be heard on WLAP 630-AM and in Louisville on WKJK 1080-AM.
The starters got the decisions, as Florida right-hander Patrick Keating improved to 7-0 with six innings of three-run ball. Wildcats sophomore starter James Paxton (3-2), making his first career SEC start, could not last long enough to record five outs in the game, hurling 1 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, four run and two walks.
Florida (25-14, 9-8 SEC) jumped all over Paxton at its first opportunity, getting two runs on two hits in the first inning. Cole Figueroa singled up the middle and Josh Adams drew a walk, stealing second after Figueroa moved to third on a fly out. London, Ky., native Jon Townsend scored the duo with a single up the middle.
Kentucky answered with a run in the bottom half of the first, as Cowgill cranked his 11th double of the year with one out and Spear scored him with his 13th two-bagger of the year.
The Gators got two more runs in the second, as Tignor led off with a solo home run and Barnes notched his first hit of the game. After Barnes moved to third, Dustin Bamberg scored him with a sacrifice fly.
UF got three more runs in the fifth, as Townsend and Clayton Pisani led off with walks and Tignor loaded the bases with a single. Barnes scored one with an RBI single and den Dekker scored another with a bases-loaded walk. Figueroa plated another run, hitting into a double play that allowed Pisani to touch home.
Kentucky narrowed the lead to 7-3 with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Keenan Wiley singled with two outs and Cowgill got hit by a pitch. Carroll scored Wiley with an RBI single to left and Spear scored Cowgill with a single to the left-centerfield gap.
In the seventh, Florida added the first of its series of unearned runs, getting two runs on one hit and the first error of the game. Barnes singled to lead off and stole second. With two outs, Adams was intentionally walked and Jonathan Pigott got hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Brandon McArthur hit a grounder at freshman Chris Bisson at third base, making just his second career SEC start, who booted the ball for his second error in as many games while subbing for everyday third baseman Chris McClendon. The error allowed Adams and Barnes to score, prompting a defensive change at third base and a pitching change, as Neiko Johnson came in to play the hot corner and Mike Kaczmarek relieved Tommy Warner.
Kentucky clawed back in the game with four runs in the seventh inning, cutting the lead to 9-7 as Cowgill led off with a walk and Carroll singled up the middle. Ryan Wilkes hit into a fielding error, notching an RBI as Cowgill scored. After Tyler Howe got hit by his SEC-leading 19th pitch of the season ? one shy of the school season record ? Wade ripped an RBI single up the middle. Bryan Rose got an RBI on a fielders choice and Howe scored on a throwing error on the UF catcher.
Florida added two more unearned runs in the eight as Pisani reached on a fielding error on Spear, playing third base for the second time this season. After Tignor laid down a sacrifice bunt, Barnes singled with a bunt of his own. den Dekker notched an RBI sacrifice fly, scoring Pisani. With two out, Adams hung a pop up in the infield right at Marcus Nidiffer, playing first base for the first time since early non-conference action. Nidiffer allowed the pop up to drop in fron of him, scoring Barnes.
In the ninth, McArthur singled to left field and Towsend sacrificed him over to second. Pisani hit a grounder at Wade who booted it for his sixth error in the last five games. Barnes scored him with a triple down the line, his third of the year.
