Getting on base was no issue for the Florida Gators in this weekend’s Miami series — they tallied seven hits in the first game, six in the second, and nine in the third. They also totaled 23 walks, certainly a concern for Miami pitching. (Florida pitching only gave up eight walks for comparison).
But Friday’s loss for Florida resulted from failures to advance runners in scoring position as much or more than starting pitcher Hunter Barco’s inability to recreate the success of his brilliant first two starts, in which he recorded 23 strikeouts and posted a 0.