Two innings accounted for all seven runs and Gator pitcher Randall Hudson held the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats hitless until the fifth inning to key Florida's 7-3 win Friday night to open the NCAA Gainesville Regional.

B-CU (35-21) scored single runs in the fifth, seventh, and eighth innings on run-scoring hits by Alejandro Sanchez, DJ Leonard, and Ryan Durrence but could not come all the way back to beat the home-standing Gators (43-15).

Randall (8-3) set a new career-high with 10 strikeouts and was in command of his pitches all night throwing 77 strikes among his 102 pitches in the victory. B-CU starter Ali Simpson (6-2) took the loss and was not effective over 3.2 innings, with two K's, walking four and allowing six hits and four earned runs.

The Gators scored four runs in the second inning on four hits and one was a infield hit that was not played well defensively by the Wildcats.  The Gators out-hit B-CU 12-7 in the contest and five Florida players had two hits each.

Bethune-Cookman made the score 4-1 in the fifth inning on a RBI hit by Alejandro Sanchez scoring DJ Leonard who doubled to open the inning. Leonard's rip to dead center field was the first hit off Gator RHP Randall. In the ball game, B-CU had only seven hits with Leonard and Sanchez leading the way with two hits each.

Three unearned runs off reliever Joey Munoz upped the lead to 7-1 Florida before B-CU scored runs in the seventh inning (RBI single by DJ Leonard) and another tally in the eighth inning on a RBI single by Ryan Durrence. Florida reliever Jeff Barfield pitched the final two innings to close the door on the Wildcats 7-3, in a game that ended at 11:30 p.m.

Florida Atlantic lost 6-4 to Oregon State in the other regional game of the day which had a 3+ hour rain delay in the afternoon and making the B-CU - Florida game an 8:15 start.  FAU and B-CU played earlier this season, April 28 with the Wildcats losing 8-4 to the Owls.

Melendez said either LHP Roman Lancara or RHP Rayan Gonzalez will get the pitching start Saturday vs. FAU.