Florida scrapes by South Carolina to take lead of Super Regional

It looked like South Carolina might get the best of Florida for a fourth-straight game, but the Gators battled back and claimed an important Game 1 win in the Gainesville Super Regional.

At one point it looked like history would repeat itself.

Down 3-2 after an early outburst from South Carolina, Florida’s baseball team headed into the fifth looking a step behind the same opponent that had swept it earlier in the year.

With one swing of the bat, right fielder Tyler Shelnut erased any fear of mediocrity that might have been growing amongst Gators fans, tying the game up with a solo home run to left that never had a chance to stay in the park.

Shelnut tied the game at three runs apiece, but it didn’t long for BT Riopelle to give Florida the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Riopelle had missed a homer to dead center early, but there was no question about this one. He got all of it, and Colby Halter missed back-to-back homers by about eight feet or so.

Florida’s only run of the day that didn’t come off a homer came in the eighth. Shlenut single through the left side, scoring Josh Rivera, who walked two batters prior. That was the fifth and final run of the day for Florida in the 5-4 win. Rivera put the first Gator runs of the day on the board with a two-run shot in the first that answered a pair of runs from the ‘Cocks.

South Carolina was all over Brandon Sproat early. They got to him for seven hits and a walk through the first two innings, but then he settled down and kept the Gamecocks at three runs through the sixth. Although it wasn’t the start Sproat was looking to have, three runs over six innings is good for a quality start. Not to mention his seven strikeouts at the end of the day.

After working his pitch count over 100, Sproat turned the ball over to the freshman left-hander, Cade Fisher. He hasn’t blinked in the face of pressure all year, and Fisher faced one more the minimum on Friday.

Brandon Neely earned his 13th save of the season, but the victory didn’t come without some drama for UF. Will McGillis, who led off the game with a home run, made it a one-run game in the top of the ninth with his second homer of the night.

It’s important to note that Florida was without Neely when it traveled to Columbia (and got swept) in April. The bullpen seemed uncomfortable knowing someone would have to fill in for the All-SEC closer, but there was nothing but confidence from the ‘pen this time around.

The expectation heading into this series was that it would be a clash of two SEC titans, and Game 1 did not disappoint. Florida is in the driver’s seat now, though, and the Gators can punch their ticket to Omaha on Saturday with another win.

Hurston Waldrep will take the mound at 3 p.m. EDT for Florida.

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