University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Florida
Florida Gets Past Vols 10-9
April 23, 2000 | Baseball
Knoxville, Tenn. -- Ryan Raburn hit a grand slam and Tony Socarras went 3-for-4 with a home run and five RBI as the Florida Gators (31-17-1, 12-8-1 SEC) stormed back from a 6-0 deficit to post a 10-9 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers (34-17, 7-12 SEC).
The Gators loaded the bases in the top of the ninth on a base hit, a walk and a Vol error before Raburn belted a grand slam off Vol reliever Kurt Scott (1-1) to give Florida a 9-6 lead. Two batters later, Mark Kiger launched his sixth home run to left with what proved to provide the final one-run victory margin.
Tennessee made a valiant effort at a comeback in the bottom of the ninth on Stevie Daniel's three-run home run with no out, but Jay Belflower slammed the door as he retired three of the next four batters on a strikeout and two groundouts for his second save.
Kenny Birch (6-0) picked up the win in 3 1/3 innings of relief.
Trailing 6-0 after five innings, Socarras put the Gators on the board with two-run double in the sixth that cut the lead to 6-2. He followed with a three-run home run, his 14th, in the seventh to pull Florida within 6-5.
Two doubles by Daniel and John Massey helped set the table as the Vols grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Christensen and a triple from Ryan Moffett.
A sacrifice fly in the third, followed by a two-run home run by Justin Parker in the fourth and Moffett's solo home run in the fifth inning extended Tennessee's lead to 6-0.
Tennessee's next game will be Tuesday, April 25, at 6:30 p.m. in Kingsport, Tenn., against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the annual Hokie-Smokey Classic.
Florida 000 002 305-10 11 2Tennessee 201 210 003- 9 12 2
Mosher, Simon (3), Birch (5), Belflower (9) and Socarras. Nicholson, Bennett (6), DeJong (7), Scott (7) and Massey. W-Birch (6-0). L-Scott (1-1). Save-Belflower (2). HR-UF-Socarras (14), Kiger (6), Raburn (3); UT-Parker (3), Moffett (5), Daniel (2). T-3:18. Att-1147.
