Forced into an elimination game when the Georgia Bulldogs (31-30) beat them earlier in the afternoon, No. 3 Florida Gators baseball (44-16) scored a run in the top of the ninth to break a tie and advance to the finals of the 2011 Southeastern Conference Tournament with a 3-2 win Saturday evening at Regions Park.

Freshman right-handed pitcher Karsten Whitson got the start for Florida but gave up a run each in the bottom of the first and second. The Gators knotted the game at 2-2 just one inning later, when sophomore shortstop Nolan Fontana hit his fourth home run of the year with junior left fielder Daniel Pigott on second base.

Whitson was pulled after 5.1 innings but Florida held Georgia scoreless for the duration of the contest. The Gators took advantage of a base runner to start the top of the ninth when redshirt sophomore designated hitter/first baseman Vickash Ramjit (1-4, R) doubled to right center. He advanced to third on Pigott’s (0-1, R, 2 BB, 2 SB) sacrifice bunt and scored two batters later when Fontana (1-5, HR, 3 RBI, R, SB) reached on a fielder’s choice to second base.

Sophomore RHP Austin Maddox was called on to pitch the bottom of the ninth; he allowed one hit but struck out two to earn his fifth save of the season, giving junior RHP Tommy Toledo (4-3) the victory.

With the victory, Florida will take on No. 4 Vanderbilt (47-9) on Sunday at 2 p.m. for the title. The Gators return to the SEC Tournament Championship for the first time since 2000 and have not won since 1991.

Junior RHP Alex Panteliodis (4-2, 4.65 ERA) will take the mound and match up against Vanderbilt’s Taylor Hill (4-0, 3.16 ERA). Florida was 2-1 in a regular season road series at Vanderbilt May 13-15, defeating them 6-5 and 6-3(12) but falling 14-1 in between.

Tags: Alex Panteliodis, Austin Maddox, baseball, Dustin Pigott, Georgia Bulldogs, Karsten Whitson, Nolan Fontana, Regions Park, SEC, SEC Tournament, Tommy Toledo, Vickash Ramjit

No. 4 Florida Gators baseball (42-15) was eliminated from the 2010 Southeastern Conference Tournament Saturday after falling 5-2 to the Alabama Crimson Tide (37-21) on Saturday at Regions Park in Hoover, AL.

The seven-inning game, previously decided to be shortened due to weather, represented Florida’s second loss of the double-elimination tournament.

Gators sophomore starter Tommy Toledo (3-2) allowed four earned runs in the first three innings and left the game two outs later. Three Florida relievers held the Crimson Tide scoreless throughout the rest of the game, but the staff was no match for Alabama’s Adam Morgan (6-4), who only gave up two earned runs in a complete game effort.

Senior outfielders Matt den Dekker (1-3) and Jonathan Pigott (1-3) recorded Florida’s only two RBI, leading the way on offense.

The Gators now await an official announcement from the NCAA set to come Sunday at 3:30 p.m. regarding whether or not McKethan Stadium in Gainesville, FL, will be one of 16 hosts for 2010 NCAA Regional action beginning on June 4.

Tags: Adam Morgan, Alabama Crimson Tide, baseball, Jonathan Pigott, Matt den Dekker, McKethan Stadium, NCAA, Regions Park, SEC, SEC Tournament, Tommy Toledo

1 » Faced with elimination, top-seeded No. 4 Florida Gators baseball (41-4) rode past the No. 12 Arkansas Razorbacks (40-18) 5-4 in the 2010 Southeastern Conference Tournament on Thursday at Regions Park in Hoover, AL. Sophomore starter Alex Panteliodis (9-2) picked up the win, tossing 6.2 innings, striking out five and giving up three earned runs. Junior closer Kevin Chapman earned his 11th save of the season, though he did give up a run in the ninth and final inning of the game. Freshman third baseman Austin Maddox (2-4) led the way with two RBI, and freshman shortstop Nolan Fontana (2-3) scored two runs. Florida will face Vanderbilt (41-16) in the second elimination game of the tournament Friday evening, airing live at ESPN3.com.

2 » Still making touchdowns – but now for the Jacksonville Sharks of the AFL – former Gators wide receiver Dallas Baker was faced with an injury scare Saturday night in a 46-44 win over the Cleveland Gladiators. “I thought I tore something,” Baker told The Florida Times-Union. Instead Baker, who scored twice during the game before falling to the turf, suffered a sprain according to an MRI exam after the game. He is second on the team this season with 416 yards and nine touchdowns in five games played.

Four more BITS on track & field qualifiers, tennis’ NCAA wins and losses and a Gator winning Rookie of the Year…after the break!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Baseball wins, Baker OK, seven Gators qualify, tennis updates, lacrosse rookie of year

Tags: AFL, ALC, Alex Panteliodis, Alexandre Lacroix, Allie Will, Anastasia Revzina, Antoine Benneteau, Arkansas Razorbacks, Ashley Bruns, Austin Maddox, baseball, Christian Taylor, Cleveland Gladiators, Dallas Baker, Evelien Dekkers, Fidela James, field, Jacksonville Sharks, Jeff Demps, Josh Izewski, Keely Medeiros, Kevin Chapman, Lauren Embree, Magill Tennis Complex, Mariam Kevkhishvili, Marrit Boonstra, National Championship, NCAA, NCAA Outdoor Championship, Nolan Fontana, Regions Park, Rookie of the Year, Shara Proctor, tennis, track

1 » Coming into the 2010 Southeastern Conference Tournament on a high after winning the SEC regular season title, No. 4 Florida Gators baseball (40-14) was brought down a notch with a 10-6 loss to the defending national champion LSU Tigers in first-round action at Regions Park in Hoover, AL. LSU starter Anthony Ranaudo (4-2) gave up five earned runs in 7.2 innings but still outdueled Florida freshman Brian Johnson (5-4) who was lit up for seven earned runs in just 3.2 innings. Senior outfielder Matt den Dekker (2-5) led the way for the Gators with three RBI and a home run, but his efforts were not enough to stop the Tigers’ offensive onslaught. The loss marked only the second time all season Florida fell in back-to-back games; it did not remove them from the tournament, which is double-elimination. The Gators will compete Thursday in an elimination game that will air live on CSS and online at ESPN3.com.

2 » Though the Florida men’s tennis team was ousted early in the 2010 NCAA National Championship, individual players are still competing for singles and doubles titles. On Wednesday, No. 8-seed junior Alexandre Lacroix won his first-round match in straight sets (6-1, 6-1) over No. 104-ranked Charles Bottoni of East Tennessee State at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, GA. Lacroix will move on to face No. 32-seed Bassm Beidas of Pepperdine on Thursday. He will actually participate in two matches Thursday, also teaming with senior Antoine Benneteau in doubles competition.

3 » Members of the National Championship runner-up Gators women’s tennis team were not afforded much rest as two were already back in action Wednesday. No. 7-seed freshman Allie Will (47-4) won her first-round singles match against Washington State’s Liudmila Vassilieva easily (6-1, 6-1), advancing to the second round on Thursday.

4 » On the other hand, Will’s classmate Lauren Embree (32-6), who led Florida on Tuesday, surprisingly fell in her singles match. She lost 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 to California’s Mari Anderson and was bounced from the tournament. Both women will compete alongside seniors Marrit Boonstra and Anastasia Revzina in doubles action Thursday.

Tags: Alexandre Lacroix, Allie Will, Anasta, Anthony Ranaudo, Antoine Benneteau, baseball, Brian Johnson, Lauren Embree, LSU Tigers, Marrit Boonstra, Matt den Dekker, National Championship, NCAA, Regions Park, SEC, SEC Tournament, tennis