Shore Keeps Gators Alive

GAINESVILLE, Fla.—After losing the first game of super regionals to Florida State, Florida, the No. 1 national seed, faced a must-win game Sunday. A win would extend the season to a decisive third game, while a loss would leave only exit interviews before the start of the offseason.

Its season on the line, Florida turned to righthander Logan Shore, and the Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year delivered. Shore threw eight scoreless innings, and the Gators defeated the Seminoles, 5-0. The series—and the final spot in the College World Series field—will be decided Monday at 7 p.m. ET.

Shore struck out nine batters, walked two and held the Seminoles to two hits. The junior retired 12 straight hitters between Florida State’s two hits and, after the second hit of the night, set down the next 10 hitters before issuing his first walk of the night with two outs in the eighth inning. With the victory, Shore improved to 12-0, 2.24.

After being drafted 47th overall by the Athletics on Thursday, Sunday was likely Shore’s final game at McKethan Stadium. It was a classic start from the All-American.

“I thought he threw great,” Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “He threw some strikes when he needed to. He’s been doing that not just this year, but his whole career.”

Shore said his game plan Sunday was to come right after the Seminoles hitters.

“After watching them last night, I thought my stuff matched up pretty well with the lefties in their lineup and my changeup,” Shore said. “I thought what it came down to was I was locating my fastball extremely well down in the zone. I was able to throw some offspeed pitches to keep them off the fastball and they just didn’t seem comfortable all night.”

Throughout his college career, Shore has excelled by locating his fastball and keeping hitters off balance with his plus changeup. Sunday was much of the same, as he pounded the zone with his low-90s fastball and liberally mixed in his changeup.

Helping make Shore even tougher was the movement on his fastball. He said he thought the pitch was better than it had been in his recent starts.

“I felt like it was coming out of my hand a lot better as far as velocity wise and movement wise,” he said. “I think it just comes down to locating down in the zone, I was at the knees most of the night.”

Florida State third baseman John Sansone said Shore was one of the best pitchers the Seminoles have faced this year.

“He was dealing on us,” Sansone said. “We were swinging out of our zone and out of our game.”

Florida State is typically known for its patient approach at the plate. But Shore attacked the strike zone and worked ahead in the count most of the night.

“I think when I kept doing that they realized they can’t take pitches because they’ll be down and be behind in the count,” he said. “That works into my advantage to get them off their game plan and everything was working good.”

Eventually, Shore began to tire. He finished the eighth inning with more than 100 pitches and a four-run lead. With O’Sullivan in the dugout, that often would have meant Shore’s night was done and the crowd at McKethan Stadium gave him a big ovation as he walked off the mound.

O’Sullivan said in the regular season, Shore probably would have come out after he issued the two-out walk in the eighth. But one of the benefits of keeping his pitchers on tight pitch counts during the season—Shore threw more than 100 pitches just twice this year—is that he can push the envelope slightly in the postseason.

As Shore returned to the mound in the ninth inning, the crowd roared again.

“It gave me chills running out there for the ninth,” Shore said. “I’m fortunate that (O’Sullivan) let me go out there and experience that. It’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

After Shore issued a leadoff walk to run his pitch count to 114, O’Sullivan summoned closer Shaun Anderson from the bullpen. Anderson finished off the shutout, setting up a winner-take-all game between the two rivals.

Shore’s strong star means Florida’s bullpen is in good shape going into Monday, and the Gators will start lefthander A.J. Puk, the sixth overall pick in the draft. But O’Sullivan knows the Gators will have to again be at their best to return to Omaha.

“It’s a nine-inning game and anything can happen,” O’Sullivan said. “We’re obviously going to have to play our best. It’s a rivalry game. The winner’s moving on, so I’m sure there will be a lot of intensity and a lot of excitement.”