University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Florida
Florida Downs Tennessee, 15-1
April 12, 2002 | Baseball
April 12, 2002
Knoxville, Tenn. -- Ryan Shealy hit his 14th home run while driving in five as the No. 11 Florida Gators pounded out 15 hits and capitalized on six Tennessee errors in an 15-1 victory over the Volunteers in the series opener at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Aaron Sobieraj added four RBI, while Jimmy Ramshaw (3-3) worked eight innings for the win, allowing the lone run on six hits.
Ramshaw, who struck out seven and walked three, survived Tennessee's initial scoring threat in the first at it loaded the bases with no out. He responded by striking out the next two hitters while getting a fly out to end the inning.
After allowing a two-out walk in the second, Ramshaw then retired 12 straight before Hal Bibee got the Vols' second hit in the sixth with a single to right.
Tennessee (17-19, 4-9 SEC) plated its lone run in the seventh on Jordan Czarniecki's triple that scored Chad LeGate who hit a dribbler to third and stole second.
Sobieraj's three-run double highlighted a five-run second inning for the Gators (25-11, 7-6 SEC) as they pounded out four hits in the frame. Mark Kiger's bases loaded walk put Florida on the board at 1-0, while David Klebonis' later drove home Sobieraj for the fifth run.
They tacked on one more in the third on a base hit by Jake Riordan, and added three more in the fourth thanks to two more Tennessee errors, a single by Aaron Davidson, a sacrifice fly and a double by Riordan for a 9-0 lead.
Shealy did his damage late with a two-run blast in the eighth and a three-run triple in the ninth that capped a four-run inning for a 15-1 Florida lead.
Ben Riley (2-2) took the loss as he surrendered nine runs (seven earned) on 11 hits in four innings.
Brian St. Jean provided solid relief as he retired the first nine hitters he faced before running into trouble in the final two frames.
Game two of the series will be Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.
