Tag: Dale Thomas

Florida’s lineup takes major blow with OF Ty Evans injury

Florida outfielder Ty Evans could be done for the season after suffering an injury to his wrist on Saturday against Kentucky.

Florida baseball secured the win against Kentucky on Saturday in convincing fashion, but there were still losses on the day for the Orange and Blue.

In the fifth inning, junior right fielder [autotag]Ty Evans[/autotag] crashed into the padded fence in foul territory down the first base line and left the game. Head coach [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] said after that the preliminary diagnosis was a broken wrist.

“It’s like a dagger to the heart, really,” third baseman [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] said. “He’s one of my best friends. I love that kid to death. He’s a competitor, he’s a winner. He goes out there and gives everything for the team.”

Evans is batting .316 with 13 home runs and 43 runs batted in this year, often batting in the heart of Florida’s lineup. Replacing him will be difficult, both at the plate and on the field.

Florida’s center field shuffle has continued all season, and Tyler Shlenut has moved from the outfield to the infield at times because of it. The only constant for UF in the grass was Evans in right.

That could also be it for Evans in Gainesville as the draft is an option this summer. He isn’t a high-round pick, but there doesn’t seem to be a reason for him to come back for another year at Florida.

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Gators’ bats stay hot, even up weekend series with Kentucky Wildcats

Florida’s bats have caught fire against Kentucky so far this weekend. Add a quality start from Liam Peterson and you have a recipe for a victory.

There is an old adage that states that one does not get mad, they simply get even. Florida baseball took that to heart on Saturday with a 10-1 rout of the visiting Kentucky Wildcats inside Condron Family Ballpark to tie the series at one apiece.

A day after the Gators surrendered an early lead and came up short in a 12-11 loss in extra innings, the offense remained hot putting up another double-digit effort on the scoreboard. The biggest difference in Game 2 was the performance on the mound for the home team.

[autotag]Liam Peterson[/autotag] earned his first career quality start with the Orange and Blue thanks to a stellar six innings of work in which he allowed just one run on five hits and two walks while striking out six. [autotag]Ryan Slater[/autotag] took over in the seventh and earned the save with three scoreless and hitless innings, notching a strikeout along the way.

[autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] went 2-for-5 and [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] went 2-for-4, both chipping in two hits, two runs and three RBI apiece. [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] continued his impressive weekend going 2-for-3, adding one double, one RBI, one run and one walk to the offensive onslaught.

The Orange and Blue also continued its stretch of 130 consecutive games with at least one run scored — the third-longest in program history dating back to May 27, 2022. And speaking of streaks, [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] extended his on-base streak to 36 games and hitting streak to 29 in a row with a double and a four intentional walks.

The rubber match between the two teams will take place on Sunday, May 12, in Gainesville with the first pitch scheduled for noon ET. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

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Florida falls in extras to Kentucky after offensive explosion

It was a fun game for the spectators but unfortunately, the good guys failed to prevail.

The opening game to Florida baseball’s penultimate regular-season series was certainly an entertaining one for the fans. In fact, the crowd at Condron Family Ballpark even got some extra baseball out of the evening.

The Gators ultimately fell to the fourth-ranked Kentucky Wildcats, 12-11, in 10 innings to drop the first of three in Gainesville this weekend against its Southeastern Conference foe. The Orange and Blue managed to build a 5-1 lead at the end of the fourth inning, but the bullpen once again came undone as it is wont to do.

[autotag]Pierce Coppola[/autotag] got the start in ostensibly an opener role, throwing 2 2/3 innings and allowing an unearned run in the first frame. Fisher Jameson relieved him and coughed up a pair of runs over two innings, followed by [autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] who notched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless work.

Then the pain came when [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag], [autotag]Luke McNellie[/autotag] and [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] all surrendered a trio of runs in their respective stints; Fisher ended up getting saddled with the loss.

Florida’s top performer at the plate was [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag], who went 3-for-4 for his first three-hit game as a Gator while also driving in two runs. [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag] went 2-for-6, [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] went 2-for-3 and [autotag]Colby Shelton[/autotag] went 2-for-5, and the trio all left the yard; Shelton posted a two-homer effort.

Caglianone reached base five times, including his 28th home run and 200th career hit, extending his hitting streak to 28 games.

The next game is slated for 1 p.m. ET on Saturday in Gainesville. The SEC Network will provide the broadcast.

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OF Ty Evans leads Florida over FSU with clutch 3-run HR

It’s been a tough year for Ty Evans at the plate, but he’s proven himself as a clutch bat several times for the Gators in 2023. The latest example came on Tuesday night as he delivered a go-ahead three-run blast to beat Florida State, 5-2.

Florida and Florida State have provided some must-see matchups over the last couple of seasons, and Gators outfielder [autotag]Ty Evans[/autotag] etched his name in the record books of this historic rivalry as the catalyst behind a 5-3 Tuesday night win.

Evans didn’t even start the game for Florida. Kevin O’Sullivan gave [autotag]Matt Prevesk[/autotag] a chance to start in right field after Evans continued to struggle against SEC pitching. The result was an 0-for-2 night for Prevesk, and [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] pinch-hit for him in the seventh, further implying that Evans wasn’t the man Florida wanted at the plate.

Finally, Evans entered the game as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning, and luck would put him at the plate in a two-out situation with a pair of runners on base.

He missed badly on a slider to start the at-bat, but Evans wouldn’t miss it when FSU right-hander Doug Kirkland threw the pitch again. Evans, who has a flare for the dramatic, smashed a no-doubt home run to left field, putting the Gators up by two.

It was Evans’ fourth home run on the year and one that Gators fans aren’t likely to forget the next time questions arise over whether he should be the everyday right fielder at UF or not.

[autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] struck out the side to close the door on his SEC-leading seventh save of the season. The right-handed sophomore has transitioned from a fringe weekend starter to an elite closer masterfully, and there was never really any doubt about the win once Evans hit the home run.

Not to be forgotten are the performances turned in by start [autotag]Ryan Slater[/autotag] and left-handed freshman [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] in relief. Slater went six innings for the first time, even if he did run into some trouble in the last frame. He left the game in line for the loss, but Fisher kept things close with two innings of baserunner-free work and earned the win.

Slater isn’t going to deliver a double-digit strikeout game anytime soon, but he’s a strong option to go on Sundays moving forward if [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] can’t get things together on the mound. This was Slater’s audition of sorts, and he passed with flying colors.

Speaking of Caglianone, the nation’s home run leader has hit another mini-slump and is now on a 0-for-10 stretch. That being said, Florida only managed five hits all night against the Seminoles, and four of them came after the fifth inning.

It’s a good sign that the Gators can win games that they don’t hit their best in, but now isn’t the time for Florida to be regressing as a team either. The back half of the conference schedule is still loaded with top-25 opponents, and then it’s playoff time.

Lost in all this might be that Florida has taken the season series against Florida State and has a chance to sweep with a rescheduled natural site game in Jacksonville on May 2.

Florida hosts Georgia over the weekend, starting on Friday.

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Florida baseball completes comeback against FSU

The Florida Gators slowly chipped away at Florida State’s lead all night until they finally came up big with a five-run eighth inning that decided the game.

The Florida Gators dug themselves into an early hole Tuesday night against Florida State, but a five-run eighth inning secured a 9-5 win for UF against its bitter rival.

Florida’s pitching staff was well-rested, but a midweek game between SEC series isn’t the time to use up the top arms on the club. The Gators threw right-hander [autotag]Tyler Nesbitt[/autotag], who made it through 3 and 2/3 innings before getting the hook from Kevin O’Sullivan.

Nesbitt wasn’t great, but some of the runs on his record came after he was out fo the game. He left a pair of runners on in the fourth that [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] couldn’t stop from scoring, which led to a four-run (three earned) day for Nesbitt. It’s the second time in as many games that Fisher has struggled to work his left-lefty matchup, and he allowed all three batters he faced on Tuesday to reach base.

[autotag]Nick Ficarrotta[/autotag] finally got Florida out of the fourth inning and struck out two in the fifth, but he allowed two base runners to get on. Left-hander [autotag]Phillip Abner[/autotag] came in and got the ground out the team needed, and that’s when the Gators’ pitching staff settled in.

Abner struck out the side in the sixth and seventh while the team slowly chipped away at the deficit. He’d end up earning the win after Florida came through big in the eighth.

[autotag]Matt Prevesk[/autotag] had the biggest at-bat of the night, coming up to pinch hit with the bases loaded and only 10 plate appearances on the year. He came through and delivered the tying run through the left side. It was one of six singles in the inning, four of which scored runs.

[autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] was in the mix during that rally with his fourth hit and second and third RBIs of the night. Josh Rivera was the only other Gator with multiple hits and runs batted in, finishing the night with two of each.

[autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] closed things out but didn’t earn a save because Florida was up by four and he came in with no runners on.

Abner, Ficarrotta and Neely look really good and might be the backbone of the bullpen moving forward. If [autotag]Blake Purnell[/autotag] and Cade Fisher can rejoin that group, Florida will remain a legitimate threat to beat any team this season.

[autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] started in left field for [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag], but it looks like he’s nearing a return after minor surgery. Kevin O’Sullivan is going to take his time bringing back his top bat, and Florida doing alright without him so far.

Florida improves to 19-4 on the season and is at Ole Miss this weekend from Friday to Sunday for the team’s first series on the road. It’s a big test for the third-ranked club in the nation.

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Major takeaways from Florida’s first SEC series vs Alabama

Florida started off the SEC schedule with two strong wins over the Alabama Crimson Tide. Here’s what we learned about the team during the series.

Florida’s first SEC series is in the books and the Gators walked away from a three-game set with Alabama Crimson Tide with a winning record of 2-1.

Both teams faced some adversity from Mother Nature. With a storm set to roll into Gainesville on Saturday, the final game of the series was moved to Friday, forcing the teams to play a doubleheader. For the position players, this isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it’s no easy task to manage a pitching staff when there are 18 innings being played in a day.

Of course, both teams were already figuring out their pitching plans due to starting the series on a Thursday, a day earlier than the rest of Florida’s weekend series this season.

UF played two very good games to start the series. On Thursday, [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] did what aces do and threw a complete-game one-hit shutout to lead Florida to a 3-0 victory. The early game on Friday was a different story, though.

Alabama had the lead for most of the ball game, but Florida kept chipping back until finally delivering a walk-off, 8-7, win in the bottom of the ninth. Unfortunately, the Gators fell flat in the second game of the day, 6-3.

It was an encouraging first weekend of conference play in many ways for the Gators. Here’s what we learned about the team.

Florida falls after taking first two games of SEC series against Alabama

Florida couldn’t finish off the sweep of Alabama in the second half of a doubleheader on Friday, but the Gators are still 2-1 to start SEC play.

Florida couldn’t make magic happen twice in one day and fell to the Alabama Crimson Tide, 6-3, in the second game of a doubleheader to close out the first SEC series of the year.

The good news is the Gators secured a series victory earlier in the day, but this would have been a 10th-straight victory for the club. The trio of Grayson Hitt, Zane Probst and Kade Woods kept Florida relatively quiet, and the Tide played with a lead for the entire night.

Hitt outdueled Florida starter [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag], who lasted six innings and gave up four runs in total (three earned). Waldrep’s command wasn’t great. He walked four and threw a wild pitch with a man on third that somehow went unpunished. He only struck out seven this week, which is low by Wadrep’s standards.

Florida had plenty of chances to score. The Gators had a baserunner in each of the first five innings and killed their own rally in the seventh with a bad baserunning blunder by [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag]. Three of UF’s seven hits on the night came during that inning, but only one run crossed the plate.

Probst wasn’t the best, but Woods was dominant against Florida in the last three innings. He struck out all seven batters he faced and left the fans at Condron Family Ballpark with a bitter taste in their mouths despite an overall successful weekend.

[autotag]Josh Rivera[/autotag] hit his 10th home run of the season in the loss, which is a career-high for him. He has the second-most homers of any Gator this season behind [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag], who went 0 for 11 this series.

[autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] got a bloop single when he pinch-hit for [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag], who started in left today for [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag]. It’s good to see Heyman back even if his hamstring is still sore, but Langford is the big missing piece right now in the lineup.

[autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag] had a two-hit day and is starting to see the ball much better after another 0-for-10 streak. Robertson is also hitting better despite his baserunning mishap.

[autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] pitched the final three innings for Florida and gave up just two runs on a home run from Alabama’s Caden Rose. He finished the night with seven strikeouts.

It was a tough way to end what was a really good weekend for Florida on the diamond, and it’s hard not to wonder how the series would have been different without the weather forcing a doubleheader.

Still, the Gators are 18-4 overall and 2-1 in SEC play. They shouldn’t be moving down any rankings after a performance like this.

Top Performers

Rivera: 2-4, HR (10); 2 RBI

Robertson: 2-3, RBI, BB

Halter: 2-3

Waldrep: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 7 K

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Wyatt Langford leads Florida over Miami in Game 1 of weekend series

Things got off to a bad start, but Florida eventually overpowered Miami on Friday night and claimed the first game of the weekend series.

Florida got off to a slow start against the Miami Hurricanes on Friday night, but the Gators never looked back once the offense got going and powered the team to a 10-4 victory in Game 1 of the series.

Three Gators combined for four home runs on the night, including a pair from [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] who has been waiting for the right game to make some noise. Langford’s first came in the bottom of the first inning and helped chip away at an early 3-0 Miami lead. The second came in the sixth to add to a three-run lead. He also drove in a run in the fourth on a double to finish the night with a team-high three RBIs.

[autotag]Richie Schiekofer[/autotag], who pinch hit for [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] in the sixth, also homered in the inning, and [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] hit a two-run shot to left field in the eighth to make bring the lead up to six. Kurland is now on a nine-game hitting streak to begin his collegiate career.

[autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] and [autotag]Ty Evans[/autotag] drove in runs on back-to-back singles in the third, and [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] also drove in a run in the fourth.

With all the scoring happening throughout the night, it’s hard to believe that things looked grim at one point for Florida, but right-hander [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] did not get off to his best start. Despite pumping 100 mph in the first inning, Sproat gave up an early three-run home run to Miami’s best hitter, Yohandy Morales.

Sproat bounced back after the Morales big fly and lasted six innings for the Gators without giving up another run. He finished the night with nine strikeouts and four walks. Another run did score in the sixth while Sproat was still in, but it didn’t count against his record because of an error that lead off the inning.

The home run makes an otherwise strong start look average, but there’s no reason to worry about Sproat. He’s figuring out the consistency aspect of his game still, but the week-to-week improvements have been encouraging. The resiliency he showed today should get him a longer leash in big games.

Once Sproat came out of the game, Kevin O’Sullivan turned to freshman left-hander [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag], and the kid absolutely dominated. Fisher closed out the game for Florida, pitching three perfect innings and earning the save. The cherry on top: Fisher struck out Morales in the seventh to close out the inning.

Miami is not a bad team by any means, but Florida didn’t look particularly challenged after the first inning. Saturday’s matchup may be a bit different. The Hurricanes are throwing Karson Ligon, who has a 0.66 ERA, and Florida’s [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag] is coming off a 13-strikeout game against Cincinnati.

First pitch is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday at Condron Ballpark in Gainesville.

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Ninth-inning collapse leads to Florida’s first loss of season

An epic ninth-inning collapse led to Florida’s first loss of the season Wednesday night. USF splits the season series with a 10-9 win.

Florida (4-1) led for most of the game against USF Wednesday night, but a ninth-inning meltdown led to the Gators blowing a five-run lead and taking the loss, 10-9.

There was plenty to like from UF, including a decent outing from freshman right-hander [autotag]Yoel Tejeda Jr[/autotag]. in his first-career start, but the late collapse is going to overshadow any positives from the evening. For what it’s worth, every Florida starter got a base hit, and [autotag]Nick Ficarrotta[/autotag] was stellar out of the bullpen.

Game Recap

Tejeda got the start for Florida and lasted three innings. He had a clean first inning despite walking Bobby Boser on four pitches, but the second and third were tough for Tejeda. He got out of a jam in the second, stranding a pair of Bulls in scoring position, but wasn’t as lucky in the third.

Tejeda started what should have been a 1-6-3 double play, but shortstop [autotag]Josh Rivera[/autotag] made an errant throw to first and allowed a run to score. The 6-foot-8-inch freshman should have been out of the inning, but he surrendered another run after giving up a walk and a single instead.

At that point, Florida’s offense hadn’t gotten going yet and only managed to score a single run through the first two innings. [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] homered in the first, but it took until the second time through the lineup for Florida to add some more runs.

[autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] hit a long sac fly into foul territory to tie things up in the bottom of the third, and Rivera came through with a single to left-center that scored him and gave Florida the lead. Caglianone was intentionally walked in between the two at-bats.

Ficarrotta was strong in relief for the Gators. He lasted 3 2/3 innings, striking out seven without giving up a base on balls. Ficarrotta surrendered just one run on the evening and limited damage to get out of a fifth-inning jam that started with three-straight singles.

Florida also had a big fifth inning and scored three runs. [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag], who got his first start of the season at second base, started things off with a double, and [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag] moved him over to third on a bunt single.

Langford struck out looking at three pitches, but Caglianone drove in Thomas with a single to right field. Rivera followed that up with his second RBI single of the day, and [autotag]Ty Evans[/autotag] singled in a run as well. A double play from [autotag]Tyler Shlenut[/autotag] ended the run.

Left-handed freshman [autotag]Chris Arroyo[/autotag] got the final out of the seventh for Florida after Ficarrotta allowed a pair of baserunners. Arroyo returned for the top of the eighth but was immediately pulled after giving up a base hit to start the inning. Kevin O’Sullivan gave him a pat on the back after taking the ball from him, which probably means that he was pulled to fit the matchup against a pinch hitter rather than for poor performance.

[autotag]Blake Purnell[/autotag] was the third arm out of the bullpen for Florida and got out of the eighth without issue. He did walk USF’s No. 9 hitter with two out but nothing came of it.

[autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] could have earned his second save of the season, but Florida added what it thought was a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth.

[autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] scored after doubling and getting knocked in by Thomas. Robertson extended the lead to five runs with an RBI single of his own, and Langford doubled on a checked swing to put men on the corners. Caglianone drew his second intentional walk of the night, but Rivera couldn’t come up big again despite entering the at-bat hitting .660 with runners in scoring position.

Purnell came back out to pitch the ninth but things went south pretty quickly. He gave up a leadoff home run to start the inning and never recorded an out after an error in right field and walking a batter. O’Sullivan turned to [autotag]Fisher Jameson[/autotag] next, which turned out to be a mistake.

Jameson struck out the Bull with the highest average on the team for out No. 1, but it was all downhill from there. USF catcher Nelson Rivera singled in a run to cut the lead to three, and then center fielder Jackson Mayo sent the ball out of the yard to tie things up.

Disaster.

[autotag]Anthony Ursitti[/autotag] replaced Jameson but gave up a two-out triple to blow the lead. To rub some salt in the wound, USF scored what wound up being the deciding run on a passed ball.

[autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] pinch hit for [autotag]Deric Fabian[/autotag], who entered as a defensive replacement at third base for Tyler Shelnut, and drew a one-out walk to start a ninth-inning rally. USF ignored him on the base paths, so he easily got to third while [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] pinch hit for Heyman.

Riopelle struck out, but [autotag]Matt Prevesk[/autotag] batted for Lastres and singled in Kurland to put the Gators within one of a tie game. Unfortunately, [autotag]Richie Schiekofer[/autotag] grounded into a fielder’s choice on the very first pitch he saw to end the game.

Key Takeaway

The bullpen completely melted down after Purnell struggled to start the ninth. Jameson and Ursitti can’t afford to pitch like that when Sully puts them in a tense spot, and he’s unlikely to forget what happened.

The question is whether O’Sullivan will adjust or not. There were several times throughout the 2022 season when Florida made the wrong call out of the bullpen, and there were shades of that tonight. To be delicate, the only way Florida’s bullpen is below average in 2023 is through mismanagement.

The undefeated season may no longer be feasible, but at least Florida has now faced some adversity and can prove itself over the weekend against Cincinnati.

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Florida baseball handles USF with 3-homer ninth

Florida has two talented Cades on the baseball team, and both of them shined in Tuesday’s road victory over the USF Bulls.

Florida took care of business on the road for the first time in 2023 as the Gators defeated the USF Bulls Tuesday night, 6-1.

[autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] made his first collegiate start and went four innings strong against USF. Fisher struck out the side in each of the first two innings of the night, bringing his season total to seven through five innings (12.6 K/9). He gave up four hits, one unearned run and threw 41 strikes out of 64 pitches overall. The only blemish of the night was a hit batter in the first inning.

It’s clear that Fisher is at the top of the list when it comes to freshmen pitchers on the team Kevin O’Sullivan is willing to let pitch. If he keeps pitching like this, he could find himself with a significant role on the staff after non-conference play ends.

While Fisher was good, the offense didn’t do enough early to give him a decision. [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag]’s solo home run came in the top of the fourth, but that only ensure that Fisher wouldn’t get the loss. Florida has a few chances to score in the first few innings of the game.

[autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] got caught trying to stretch a single into a double in the first, and Caglianone just missed a home run in the next at-bat. Caglianone’s double surely would have scored Langford had he not made the base-running gaffe. [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] struck out to end the inning with a runner in scoring position.

Bulls starter Jack Cebert shut Florida down in the second and third, retiring seven straight Gators in a row. Caglianone broke the shutout in the fourth, but [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag] left the bases loaded to start his season off 0 for 10. The Bulls were forced to go to the bullpen though, which matched up with Fisher’s departure from the game.

Ryan Slater pitched the next three innings for the Gators and looked just as good as Fisher. He struck out four and allowed just one hit while holding the Bulls scoreless. He did it with incredible efficiency too, needing just 37 pitches to get through three frames.

Sophomore left-hander Ethan Brown was the first pitcher out of the bullpen for USF. He got through the fifth with little incident. Caglianone got hit No. 3 of the night to put him a triple away from the cycle, but he didn’t score. [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] did get to him in the sixth for an RBI single to give Florida the lead, though. The freshman continues to make a strong argument for a daily spot in the lineup.

Speaking of freshman, [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] pinch hit for Halter with a lefty on the mound, meaning the junior third baseman will have to wait another game to collect his first hit of the year. [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] subbed in for him to play third base for the rest of the game.

Southern Florida turned to Riley Skeen in the eighth and ninth. Florida couldn’t get to him in the eighth, but Kurland and [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] hit back-to-back home runs to kick off what ended up being a brutal ninth. That’s Shelnut’s second in a Gators uniform and the first of Kurland’s first-career big fly.

The Bulls turned to redshirt junior Tanner Mink after Skeen got Thomas to strike out. Mink had some trouble with his pick-off move and balked before throwing the ball into centerfield on the very next attempt. Florida’s fastest player, [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag], rounded the bases with ease and scored on the error.

Finally, Langford hit his first home run of the 2023 season and officially began the chase to 27. Florida began the ninth with just a one-run lead, but South Florida needed five to tie things up by the middle of the inning.

[autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag], who came in to pitch the eighth and struck out the side, returned for the ninth after a lengthy rest on the bench. He walked a Bull to start the final frame of the night, but Neely ended up cruising to the final out of the ball game. He’s supposed to be the team’s closer, but he didn’t really need to be the one to put the lid on this one after the big inning.

The score makes this win look better than it was, but at least the bats came alive at the end. Fisher didn’t get the win, but he looked good on the bump and it’s always good to have a promising, young freshman left-hander on the staff. Kurland was the offensive MVP of the night for driving in the go-ahead run in the sixth and adding an insurance run with a solo shot in the ninth.

Up next is a rematch with USF in Gainesville on Wednesday at 6 p.m. EST.

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