University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Florida
Baseball Falls to Florida 8-5
April 22, 2000 | Baseball
Knoxville, Tenn. - Peter Nystrom hit a game-winning three-run home run and Kurt Keene went 4-for-4 with two RBI as the Florida Gators rallied from a 5-2 deficit to post an 8-5 win over the Tennessee Volunteers on April 22.
Nystrom's blast, just inside the left field foul pole in the top of the ninth off Volunteer reliever Joe Bertolino (4-3), broke a 5-5 tie and propelled Florida to the win. Keene led off the inning with a single and then one out later, Tim Olson, who extended hits hitting streak to 29 games with a single in the fourth, collected his second base hit of the game to set the table for Nystrom. Florida improved to 30-17-1 and 11-8-1 in the Southeastern Conference, while Tennessee fell to 34-16 and 7-11 in the lead.
Eddie Rojas (4-0) picked up the win after allowing just one run on three hits in a career-high 6 2/3 innings of relief with a career-high six strikeouts. Starter Jeff Cardozo was chased in the third after giving up four runs on six hits. Tennessee grabbed a 3-0 lead after two thanks to a home run by Ryan Moffett and a two-run triple by Chris Burke. The Vols extended their lead to 4-0 lead in the third on Jeff Christensen's ninth home run of the season.
Tennessee starter Wyatt Allen shut out Florida for four innings before Keene's two-run double in the fifth put the Gators on the board and cut the Vols' lead to 4-2. Ryan Raburn drew a walk and Kevin Estrada reached on a bunt single before Keene's base hit to left. Christensen drove in Stevie Daniel with Tennessee's fifth run in the bottom of the fifth as the Vols pulled ahead 5-2.
Florida tied the game at 5-5 with three runs in the sixth thanks in part to two Vol errors and a run scoring single from Jason Dill. The rubber game of the series will be Sunday at 2 p.m.
Florida 000 023 003-8 12 1Tennessee 031 010 000-5 9 3Cardozo, Rojas (3) and Socarras. Allen, Bertolino (6) and Massey. W-Rojas (4-0). L-Bertolino (4-3). HR-UF-Nystrom (5). T-Moffett (4), Christensen (9). T-2:56. Att-1490.
