Florida RHP Jack Leftwich continued his strong start to the 2021 season as the Gators cruised past the Jacksonville Dolphins, 9-0 on Saturday.
Leftwich tossed six innings of scoreless ball allowing just two hits and walking three as the Florida offense scored four runs in support while he was in the game.
The Gators improved to 12-4 on the season with the win and have a chance to earn the series victory on Sunday.
How It Happened:
Florida got on the board early as Josh Rivera hit a homer for the second straight at-bat.
With Leftwich cruising, the offense didn’t need to do too much. In the third inning, Nathan Hickey blasted a two-run bomb to center to increase the lead to 3-0.
In the sixth, Colby Halter scored on a wild pitch from Jacksonville LHP Adrian Garrastazu.
The Gators added five runs of insurance to put the game away in the eighth. Jud Fabian hit a two-run single and Kirby McMullen added a two-run homer to complete the scoring.
Jordan Carrion and Brandon Sproat completed the victory with three perfect innings in relief.
Pitching Decision:
- W: Leftwich (3-0)
- L: Mike Cassala (1-2)
Individual Stats:
- Hickey: 3-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI
- Fabian: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
- McMullen: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB,
- Leftwich: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 7 K, 3 BB
What’s Next:
Florida goes for the series win on Sunday. Hunter Barco will take the mound for the Gators.