Bethune-Cookman stuck with the number one Florida until the very end. Preston Tucker delivered the winning RBI single in the home half of the eighth as the Gators beat the Wildcats, 8-6. Freshman Johnny Magliozzi started his first game in the orange and blue and lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts. UF stretched their unbeaten streak against Bethune Cookman to 26 straight, having never lost to the Wildcats.
Bethune-Cookman struck first after Alejandro Sanchez hit an RBI triple in the first to put B-CU ahead 1-0. Mike Zunino blasted a leadoff home run in the home half of the second to tie the game at one. The home run raised Zunino's hitting streak to eight.
Florida continued their onslaught in the third. Daniel Pigott hit an RBI double to put the Gators up for the first time, 2-1. Brian Johnson then hit an RBI single to right, scoring Pigott to add another run to the tally. Tyler Gushue, fresh off his SEC Freshman of the week honors, hit an infield, RBI single to put Florida up 4-1.
The Wildcats narrowed the gap with two runs in the fourth, with Jairo Acevedo hitting an RBI groundout and Carlos Delgado stroking an RBI single to put the game at 4-3. Tyler Thompson scored on a wildpitch in the bottom of the fourth to put the lead at 5-3.
Plucky Bethune-Cookman struck back in the fifth when Brashard Johnson belted a two-out solo homer to bring the game to within one again, 5-4. In the seventh, the Wilcats took their first lead with Jordan Taylor's RBI double to put the score at 6-5. But Florida's bullpen would hold the 'Cats from there to give the Gators' offense a chance.
Zunino tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot to right. The home run with Zunino's fourth home run in his past two games against Bethune-Cookman. In the eighth, Tucker delivered his RBI single to put the Gators up by one. The RBI brings Tucker one RBI away from tying Brad Wilkerson's record for career RBI in the Orange and Blue. Johnson added a sac fly to put the game at the final score of 8-6.
The top-ranked Gators have a quick turnaround, hosting number 19 Central Florida Knights tonight at 7 p.m. You can catch the game live on Fox Sports Florida.