OMAHA, Neb. — If not for the height of Texas A&M right fielder Jace LaViolette, Florida baseball might have rallied all the way back to pull off an inspired late-night win in its College World Series opener against the Aggies.
But LaViolette went over the fence to rob Florida Gators second baseman Cade Kurland of a two-run homer in the top of he ninth inning, and the Florida Gators wound up a run short, falling 3-2 to Texas A&M in the pre-dawn hours on Saturday at Charles Schwab Field.
“I’m glad Jace is 6-foot-5,” Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle said
A crowd of 25.774 waited through a four-hour, 15-minute rain delay, to watch another tight CWS game (all four have been decided by one run, with three walkoffs). The robbery of Kurland capped frustrating night at the plate for UF, as the Gators left 10 on base, including 7 in scoring position.
The wind had died down somewhat in the sixth through eighth inning but was blowing in when Kurland laced a fastball from Texas A&M closer Evan Ashcenbeck deep to right field. Michael Robertson had gotten on before Kurland with one out in the ninth inning on an infield single.