Controversial balk call delivers Florida go-ahead run in series win over Miami
By David Wasson
Published:
Fireworks are a possibility any time Florida and Miami square off in just about any sporting activity, and they certainly erupted in an unusual way Saturday night on the baseball diamond.
The 10th-ranked Gators (11-1) rallied past the 17th-ranked Hurricanes 8-4 in front of a raucous Mark Light Field crowd that reached a fevered pitch after Miami reliever Ryan Bilka was dinged with a bases-loaded balk that pushed the go-ahead run across in the seventh inning.
Bilka took the ball from starter Rob Evans after Evans hit Florida’s Cash Strayer with a pitch and walked Caden McDonald. Bilka then issued a walk to Sam Miller to load the bases for Florida – but promptly struck out Jacob Kendall and Kyle Jones and then appeared to get out of the jam via a flyout off the bat of Brendan Lawson.
That’s when pandemonium set in, as third base umpire Travis Carlson signaled a balk on Bilka to erase the flyout and advance the Gators baserunners one base – including Strayer from third to home to make it 5-4.
Bilka would end up walking Lawson before striking out Ethan Surowiec to end the seventh inning. But the Hurricanes (10-2) would be unable to regain their edge, as Surowiec smacked a three-run homer in the top of the ninth for the final margin and a series-clinching win. The two teams finish the three-game series at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
