Updated (9:47 a.m.) Florida’s second Super Regional game with Wake Forest was suspended due to weather on Sunday night.
The game will resume at 1:04 p.m. Monday with Wake Forest up 5-4 on the Gators with two outs in the bottom of the fifth.
Game 3 of the Super Regional series, if necessary, would start 55 minutes after the conclusion of the second game. Florida (46-17) won Game 1 on Saturday night, 2-1, in the 11th inning. That game spanned about 7.5 hours after being delayed for nearly four hours heading into the bottom of the fourth inning because of rain and lightning. The winner of the best-of-three series earns a trip to the College World Series.
Florida had just replaced starting pitcher Jackson Kowar with lefty reliever Austin Langworthy with two outs in the fifth when a heavy rainstorm came at 5:14 p.m. After waiting for more than two-and-a-half hours and with no stop to the rain expected until 11 p.m., NCAA Tournament officials decided to call the game. The start time of the game also was delayed 22 minutes due to lightning in the area.
Wake Forest had just taken a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run from third baseman Johnny Aiello shortly before the rain came. Kowar had allowed back-to-back singles before he was pulled from the game. Langworthy will face Wake Forest leadoff hitter Jonathan Pryor with runners on first and second and two outs when the game resumes.
Wake Forest (42-19) jumped to an early 4-0 lead Sunday on a Gavin Sheets three-run homer and Ben Breazeale solo home run off Kowar in the first inning. But Florida rallied to tie the score. Second baseman Deacon Liput belted a two-run homer off Wake Forest starter Connor Johnstone in the top of the second inning, cutting Wake’s lead to 4-2. The Gators then scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning on a Liput RBI single and Dalton Guthrie sacrifice fly.
Johnstone was pulled in the fifth inning, but reliever Chris Farish, who came in with Wake Forest up 4-3, was able to work out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam, allowing just the Guthrie sac fly that tied the score at 4-all.
Top-seeded Oregon State, Louisville, Texas A&M, Cal State Fullerton, TCU, Florida State and LSU have already won their Super Regionals and advanced to the College World Series.
Those who purchased tickets for Sunday’s game can still use them for today’s games. Parking will be lifted in the O’Connell Center garage, track lot and Frat Row. Flavet Field will also be available for parking.
Contact Kevin Brockway at 352-374-5054 or kevin.brockway@gvillesun.com. Also check out Brockway’s blog at Gatorsports.com.
