GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In a game that had a combined three hits, it was a Cash Strayer sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning that gave No. 23 Florida a 1-0 win over South Carolina on March 13 in the SEC baseball opener at Condron Family Ballpark.
The opener was a pitcher’s duel between starters Josh Gunther and Florida’s Liam Peterson. Gunther went 61/3 innings, not allowing a hit or a run with three walks and five strikeouts. Peterson went six innings, allowing just one hit with 10 strikeouts and two walks.
The game stayed scoreless going to extra innings. In the bottom of the 10th, Kyle Jones led off the frame with a double down the left field line. After an intentional walk, a sacrifice bunt and a second intentional walk, Strayer hit a fly ball to center. Jones beat out the throw at the plate for the walk-off win by the Gators.
Brandon Stone took the loss. He allowed two hits and a run with a pair of strikeouts and three walks. Alex Valentin did not allow a hit in an inning of relief with a strikeout and two walks.
Talmadge LeCroy had Carolina’s only hit of the game. Carolina reached on five walks and a hit by pitch.
No. 4 Georgia Tech 9, No. 11 Clemson 3
CLEMSON — Kent Schmidt hit a grand slam in the seventh inning in No. 4 Georgia Tech’s victory over No. 11 Clemson at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
The Yellow Jackets, who took a 2-0 lead in the series, improved to 17-2 overall and 4-1 in the ACC.
Jacob Jarrell hit a solo homer for the Tigers (15-4, 0-2) in the second inning, while Nate Savoie hit a solo shot in the fourth.
But in the seventh, Schmidt turned a 4-2 lead into an 8-2 advantage with his slam.
Savoie homered again in the eighth, his seventh of the season, but it wasn’t enough for Clemson.
Mason Patel (2-0) earned the win in relief by tossing 12/3 scoreless innings.
Tigers starter Michael Sharman (4-1) yielded five hits, four runs (three earned) and two walks with three strikeouts in 52/3 innings.