Gators season ends Sooner than they want

The Florida Gators had a 2-1 lead with freshman Brandon Neely throwing a gem. Then Mother Nature injected herself into the game. Five hours and thirty-three minutes later the teams took the field. One hour later the Gators were left watching the Oklahoma Sooners celebrate a 5-4 win that Florida looked destined to hold for its own prior to the rain.

The delay didn’t lose a game, the Sooners took it.

Kevin O’Sullivan turned to Ryan Slater, who had earned the closing job, to get the last seven outs on Monday night. The redshirt freshman struck out Gainesville Regional MVP Kendall Pettis. Florida added a run in its half of the seventh to take a 3-1 lead.

Slater struggled in the eighth. John Spikerman doubled to lead the frame and Peyton Graham hit a rocket into the visiting bullpen to tie the game at three. O’Sullivan stuck with his guy but the Sooners kept tacking on. Blake Robertson walked, Tanner Tredaway singled, and Jimmy Crooks moved both of them up 90-feet with a sac bunt. One groundout and a single later the Sooners had a 5-3 lead. O’Sullivan walked out to the mound and brought in Fisher Jameson, who navigated the rest of the game without allowing a run.

Sticking with Slater

O’Sullivan was asked after the game about his decision to stick with Slater as long as he did.

“We had Fic (Nick Ficarrotta) and Fish (Jameson Fisher) ready,” O’Sullivan said. “Ryan’s been our guy. It’s a double, home run, you got a tie ball game. The one that hurt was the walk after the two-run homer. No one feels worse than he does. No one is trying to go out there and fail. He competed and sometimes the other team just beats you.”

Slater earned the loss on Monday night, falling to 6-4 on the season. He was inconsolable after the game, understandably, but his future is bright.

“Being a redshirt freshman that barely threw any in the fall after coming off Tommy John,” O’Sullivan said. “To where he was in February to where he is now in June, just like all of them, they have all gotten better. We fell one run short, it is disappointing, but I am pleased with the progress we made.”

Neely asks for the ball

Between the first and second games on Sunday Brandon Neely walked up to Kevin O’Sullivan in the Florida dugout with a simple statement.

“Sully,” he said. “I’m ready and want to throw if you need me.”

His coach told the freshman they needed him for a potential game on Monday but if it was close late on Sunday he’d consider it.

Neely got the ball on Monday night because he wanted it. He had lasted just 2.1 innings and gave up four earned runs Saturday against this very lineup. There wasn’t a hesitation in O’Sullivan’s mind. When Neely showed he wanted to go back out there and compete, he was given the opportunity. He limited Oklahoma to four hits and one run over 6.2 innings before a weather delay ended his day with two outs. Neely threw 88 pitches after throwing only 50 in Friday night’s outing.

“Neely coming back on short rest and goes 6 2/3 and only giving up one run, it is a really tough lineup with a lot of left-handers,” O’Sullivan said.

The Gators finished the season 42-24.

“I’m proud of the team. It’s as simple as that. I know everyone wants to win the last game of the season.

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