Austin Maddox registered two hits, including a key two-run single in the fifth inning, to lead No. 6 Florida to a 9-3 victory over Army, Monday night at McKethan Stadium.
Florida (12-3) jumped on Army starter Kirk Porter quickly as Matt den Dekker smacked a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning. But the Black Knights responded in their next at-bat when Ben Koenigsfeld blasted a long solo home run to deep left field, knotting the score at 1-1.
Porter walked the bases loaded with one out in the second, but permitted only a run-scoring groundout by Mike Zunino as the Gators forged back in front 2-1. Army tied the score again in the top of the fourth when Joey Henshaw drilled a leadoff double to the gap in left-center field and scored on a single by Koenigsfeld.
Army caught a bit of bad luck in the bottom of the fifth inning as the Black Knights lost two balls in the McKethan Stadium lights, helping the Gators push across three runs to grab a 5-2 lead. Zunino ignited the inning for Florida, lofting a flyball double to shallow center field with one out. Following a walk by den Dekker, Daniel Pigott hit a foul ball outside of first base, but Kevin McKague lost the ball in the lights. With his plate appearance extended, Pigott then hit a fly ball to left-center field that was lost in the lights by Koenigsfeld and dropped for an RBI double. Porter induced Preston Tucker to pop out to shortstop for the second out of the inning, but Maddox followed his clutch two-run single to right that stretched the Gators' lead to 5-2.
A run-scoring single by Bryson Smith off Army reliever Logan Lee in the sixth extended Florida’s lead to 6-2.
Army (5-4) loaded the bases with one out in the seventh against Florida reliever Jeff Barfield on singles by Brandon Hines and J.T. Watkins and a walk by Zach Price. Shaun Wixted’s sacrifice fly inched Army to within 6-3, but Barfield averted further damage by retiring Clint Moore on a lineout to center field to end the threat.
Florida put the game away in the seventh on a two-run homer by Preston Tucker to left-center field, then added a single run in the eighth to account for the final 9-3 margin.
Watkins continued to swing a hot bat for the Black Knights, finishing 3-for-3 with a double to head Army’s offense. The sophomore catcher is batting .800 (8-for-10) during the Black Knights’ trip to Florida. Koenigsfeld added two hits and two runs batted in.
Porter (0-2) suffered the loss for Army, allowing five runs on four hits over five innings of work. He struck out three and walked five. Anthony DeSclafani (2-1) notched the win for Florida. The sophomore right-hander permitted two runs on six hits over 5.2 innings. He fanned three and did not walk a batter. Barfield allowed one run over 3.2 innings to earn his second save of the season.
