The Gator baseball team was eliminated from the NCAA tournament after losing game two by the score of 7-6 to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. After dropping game one 9-7 the Gators had to win last night to force a deciding game three, but things weren’t meant to be as the Golden Eagles won and advance to the College World Series in Omaha.

Things looked good early for Florida as freshman Preston Tucker powered a homer over the right field fence in the first inning. Southern Miss answered when leadoff hitter Bo Davis smashed a home run over the outfield stands and into the parking lot. The Gators tacked on one in the second and then exploded for four runs in the third behind a two-RBI outfield single by sixth-year senior Brandon McArthur.

Gator starter Nick Maronde left after pitching three innings and only giving up one run. Greg Larson could only manage one out in the fourth before the Gators brought in their middle relief stalwart Tony Davis.

There were fireworks in Davis’s first inning of work when he got USM pinch-hitter Kyle Maxie to fly out to right fielder Jonathan Piggot. DH Corey Stevens tagged up and Piggot gunned him down by five steps, but Stevens decided to run over Gator catcher Buddy Monroe. Stevens was out at the plate and then was ejected by umpire Paul Guillie, firing up the crowd at McKethan stadium. Davis would go on to pitch three and two-thirds innings giving up only one hit.

Tucker reached base every at-bat, the middle of the lineup was producing, and Davis looked untouchable. The Gators had the game on cruise control entering the top of the eighth inning. Manager Kevin O’Sullivan decided to bring in closer Billy Bullock in the eighth. Bullock didn’t have his usual velocity and wasn’t his usual dominating self. To start the inning he hit CF Bo Davis in the helmet and then walked James Ewing. He struck out LF Kameron Brunty and then bases became loaded when pinch-hitter Adam Doleac singled softly to the outfield.

Bullock then gave up an two RBI double to 1B Joey Archer to tie the game at six runs apiece. RF Justin Koelling then grounded into what seemed to be an easy play by Gator SS Mike Mooney, but he rushed the throw and Tucker couldn’t scoop it at first base. That allowed the go ahead run to cross the plate putting the Eagles up for good.

The Gators tried to muster a comeback in the bottom of the ninth as Preston Tucker reached base, but 2B Josh Adams grounded into a double play to end the Gators season.

In Kevin O’Sullivan’s second season the Gators went 42-22 winning the SEC East and the Gainesville regional. They also hosted their first super regional since 2005 under Pat McMahon. Despite the achievements, the loss stung as the large Southern Miss contingency went crazy after the final out. The Gators had dominated the game, but found a way to lose in the eight. I am still not sure why O’Sullivan took out Tony Davis who looked untouchable throughout.

On the bright side, this Gator team is young. Arguably, the best two or three hitters are returning as well as three young pitchers who did some nice things this year. The recruiting class Coach O’Sullivan has signed is loaded. If C Austin Maddox and CF Lavon Washington decide to spurn the rich signing bonuses they are likely to get in the MLB draft then this Florida club could be even more dangerous. Juniors Matt den Dekker and Billy Bullock are both projected by numerous sources to go in the first three rounds of this month’s MLB draft and I wouldn’t expect to see them back next year.

Ben Petitto is a columnist for GatorTailgating.com