Tag: game recap

NFL Preseason Finale: Late Pick-6 dooms Cowboys, Trey Lance in 26-19 defeat to Chargers

The Cowboys’ preseason came to an end with some last-minute drama, but still a defeat. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The exhibition season is over for the Dallas Cowboys. Following 31 days in Oxnard, CA, the club returned to the friendly confines of Texas this weekend with their first official piece of business the preseason finale. Hosting the Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas got their third strong look at young QB Trey Lance to gauge the progress he has made since his acquisition this week last year.

Lance had several strong moments as he started to again test his downfield accuracy, but he also had several throws that showed his on-field immaturity. Near the end of the fourth quarter, down one point on a drive that started on their own eight-yard line, Lance threw a bad interception where Tre’Mon Morris tipped it to himself and raced 25-yards for the score.

It was the third and final big play in a game where other than that Dallas dominated, leaving them some positive points but in 26-19 defeat.

Dallas ends their preseason 1-2 and now turns their attention to their Week 1 date, September 8, against the Cleveland Browns.

Lance was trying to make a great final impression and finished the game throwing for 323 yards but five interceptions, including a final throw into the end zone after getting Dallas down to the Chargers’ 20-yard line with seven seconds left.

There were several plays where his ceiling is evident and a handful of others where his floor was saddening. He had two final drives, somehow, after the Pick-6 to still shoot for a tie or a win, but both ended in interceptions, although No. 4 was WR Cam Johnson getting bullied out of a catch by the defender.

Lance had some top moments though, most notably finding rookie sixth rounder Ryan Flournoy on a beautiful drop-in pass for a score, and then also a 46-yard run around the left side for his own score.

That was one of several rushing plays where the Cowboys showed their dominance, gaining 246 yards on the ground as Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis and Snoop Connor all averaged 5.5 yards per carry or more. Royce Freeman and Nathaniel Peat were both over 4.4 yards a carry themselves as the down-roster decision the coaching staff must make on RB4 got more data points to consider.

On defense, several players made stabs at landing on the end of the roster or the practice squad, including DEs Tyrus Wheat and Al-Quadin Muhammad recording sacks and LB Darius Harris making numerous impact plays.

UDFA rookie safety got his second interception of the preseason and also forced a fumble as the Chargers’ offense was severely limited outside of two big-play touchdowns.

Former Cowboys WR Simi Fehoko burned hopeful CB Andrew Booth for a 78-yard reception and WR Derius Davis took a jet sweep 70 yards when DE Viliami Fehoko bit inside and left the edge unsecured.

Now the coaches will huddle and make decisions to trim the roster down from 90 to 53 over the next four days before resuming practice and readying for the regular season.

NFL Preseason Recap: Cowboys’ defense stellar again, Trey Lance steadies to beat Raiders 27-12

Dallas’ offense made strong improvements over Week 1, most notably Trey Lance as the team evened their exhibition record with the win. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys did a lot right on defense last week, despite giving up a game-winning drive at the end. Mike Zimmer, coaching his first game in Dallas since the early 2000s, saw his backup defenders convert on four errant Stetson Bennett passes and turn them into interceptions. Dallas’ offense, mostly led by Trey Lance, was only able to turn them into 3 points.

On Saturday night in Las Vegas, the Dallas defense was only able to corral one, but they didn’t rely on the offense. Kemon Hall, signed off waivers from the 49ers roster at the start of camp, took his nice pick 69 yards to the house for a Pick-6. Combined with Lance settling down after his first few throws, finding rookie Ryan Flournoy for a score and running another in, the Cowboys were able to earn a preseason win, 27-12.

Dallas had a plethora of positive performances from individuals in the game, most noteworthy was Lance starting to look more comfortable under the bright lights. His first couple of passes were high, late, or high and late, but once they stopped trying to push the ball down the field and took check downs, he seemed to find his accuracy.

Lance went 5-for-5 for 34 yards on a six-minute drive to almost end the second quarter, the final throw a 1-yard throw to the back of the end zone to Flournoy. He finished the game 15 of 23 for 151 yards through the air with the score, plus another 36 yards on the ground with the second TD.

Lance was hardly the only positive on offense. Cooper Beebe, starting after getting first-team reps at center during the week, looked the part. The third rounder didn’t have any snap issues and opened holes in the run game.

Speaking of the run game, Deuce Vaughn was rather electric on the evening, showing a ton of wiggle en route to 34 yards on five carries. Dallas’ run game in general was strong, with Royce Freeman averaging 4.6 yards on his seven carries.

The Dallas defense was once again the story of the contest, however. The pressure they lacked against the Rams was there on this evening, with Marshawn Kneeland looking like a potential impact player both against the pass and the run.

New addition Jordan Phillips made a handful of plays at the line and behind it, and last week’s goat Albert Huggins turned things around and routinely broke into the backfield to pressure the Raiders QBs.

In the back seven, Hall’s big play came on the heels of his competition for CB5 or CB6, Andrew Booth. Burned early on a deep pass, he bounced back to make several key open-field tackles among his eight takedowns and looked the part of a rotational backup.

Juanyeh Thomas looked ready for the regular season as well with two pass breakups, one at the LOS and one in deep coverage and Dallas looks deep in the secondary.

Rookie Marist Liafau shook off his first-game jitters and was making plays on the evening as well.

Throw in Brandon Aubrey nailing a 66-yard field goal that may have been good from 72 and it was a complete day.

All in all, it was a positive performance for most of the club and most importantly the team seemed to avoid any major injuries. The team will return to Oxnard for two more practices before returning to Dallas to host the Los Angeles Chargers in the final exhibition game next Saturday.

Dominant Dallas defense can’t finish, Cowboys lose 13-12 to Rams

The Cowboys weren’t able to hold onto a late lead, falling in their exhibition opener. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys started to answer some of the questions posed to them over the course of the offseason. The opening preseason contest against the Los Angeles Rams was a bit disjointed, as expected, with each team keeping their best to the sideline in an effort to maintain health.

Both Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott stayed on the sidelines, allowing Stetson Bennett and Trey Lance, save for one series for Cooper Rush, handle the QB duties.Both offenses struggled, but the prowess of the Cowboys’ defensive depth showed up often, forcing four turnovers off of Bennett’s arm.

Lance’s offense could only convert those extra opportunities once, for three points, which allowed a game-winning drive with only four seconds remaining. The Cowboys defense couldn’t seal the deal and two penalties forced Dallas returns to Oxnard on the heels of a 13-12 defeat.

Dallas appeared to have their fifth interception of the game, but a defensive holding call gave the Rams renewed life. Later, a questionable personal foul on a tackle gave the Rams excellent field position and on fourth down, Bennett scrambled and found Miller Forinstall in the end zone for the win.

Finally getting back on the field after they way their 2023 ended in embarrassing fashion, the team was excited to get real action. Their opponent, the Rams were in a similar boat, keeping their primary playmakers in street clothes.

The backups couldn’t do much to move the ball, but the game still was able to elicit some intrigue and nervous moments.

The biggest takeaway from the game is going to be Lance’s performance, his first game snaps in a Cowboys uniform after last summer’s acquisition.

Lance finished the game 25 for 41 for 188 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He showed plenty of arm but very little touch and accuracy, with his completed passes rarely giving the receiver a chance for yards after the catch.

The club will return to Oxnard to get a couple of practices in before their second preseason action, Saturday night, against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Florida baseball season ends with College World Series semifinals loss to Texas A&M

Florida’s magical postseason run came to an end Wednesday night in the College World Series semifinals against Texas A&M.

A historic and magical season for the Florida Gators baseball team has come to an end with a 6-0 loss to the Texas A&M Aggies Wednesday night in the College World Series semifinals.

All good things must come to an end, but Florida’s goose egg and exit from the postseason felt even worse after experiencing the euphoria of an 11-run win earlier in the day.

[autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] managed to make a little more history, but it was his final game as a Gator. [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] made the final appearance of his Florida career, too.

A rough start

[autotag]Liam Peterson[/autotag] couldn’t shake his nerves again and walked four batters in the first inning. [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] went out to get him after Peterson walked in a run and brought in [autotag]Fisher Jameson[/autotag] for damage control. A sacrifice fly scored a second run before the inning ended, and the damage was already done.

Florida couldn’t get any momentum going, even when they got multiple runners on base. Texas A&M starter Justin Lamkin delivered five scoreless innings, striking out nine of the 19 batters he faced. The Gators couldn’t figure out his rhythm and looked baffled at the plate.

Jameson gave up a run in the fifth before turning the ball over to [autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] in the sixth. Clemente threw earlier in the day and couldn’t find his command. Sully had a short leash on him and brought in Neely with a 2-0 count and one-on.

That turned out to be a mistake. Neely gave up a two-run shot to make it 5-0 and suck the life out of the Gator collective.

One shot, one opportunity

Lamkin’s exit in the sixth brought in Chris Cortez, who couldn’t buy a strike. A pair of walks forced the Aggies to the bullpen again, but Josh Stewart escaped the jam without giving up a run.

Evan Aschenbeck threw the final two innings for Texas A&M to complete the shutout. Florida stranded eight men on base; although, it felt more like 100. [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag] grounded into a double play to end the game and Florida’s season.

Caglianone had two of the team’s four hits — both singles. He tied the program record for career hits with 104.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida routs Kentucky in College World Series elimination game

Florida batted around in the first inning and never looked back against Kentucky in a 15-4 rout at the College World Series on Wednesday.

A seven-run first inning set the tone for Florida’s 12-4 win over Kentucky at the College World Series on Wednesday.

Both teams faced elimination coming into the day, but this iteration of the Gators appear to thrive with their backs against the wall. Hustle was at an all-time high, and the entire lineup backed up [autotag]Pierce Coppola[/autotag] in his eighth start of the season.

The Gators get a break before playing the Texas A&M Aggies at 7 p.m., hoping to force a winner-takes-all matchup on Thursday. With little time to relive the big win this morning, here’s how it all went down.

Gators came to play

Putting [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] in the leadoff spot forced Kentucky to pitch to him, and the future first-rounder delivered with a single through the shift that turned into a two-bagger thanks to some laziness getting the ball to the infield.

[autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] should have popped out, but Kentucky’s first baseman lost the ball which led to a hit by pitch. With two on and one out, C[autotag]olby Shelton[/autotag] doubled off the wall in right field to score Caglianone. Shelton thought he had a two-run triple, but Kurland got the stop sign ahead of him. 1-1, UF.

[autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] lined one to left center, and Shelton’s aggressiveness on the basepaths allowed him to score easily. 3-1, UF. [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag] ate another pitch that ran too far inside, and that was it for Kentucky starter Dominic Niman.

[autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] greeted UK right-hander Cam O’Brien with a single to reload the bases. Then, [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag] took the first pitch he saw over the right field wall with some help from the wind. Grand salami. Florida leads, 7-1.

Kentucky actually struck first, scoring on a two-out single to right field, but that seemed like ancient history by the end of the frame.

K-oppola cruises

A quiet second from both clubs was broken in the third when Kurland drove in another pair of runs for the Gators. Wilson started the rally with another hit by pitch, forcing Kentucky to the bullpen once again. Donay single to put two on, and Caglianone loaded things up with an intentional walk. 9-1, UF.

Kentucky managed to plate another run in the fourth, but Coppola was cruising otherwise. He ran into some more trouble in the fifth — a two-out walk turned into a two-run homer — but he still struck out the side, including five of the last seven batters he faced.

Even though four runs crossed, this was Coppola’s best start of the year. He threw a career-high 98 pitches (60 strikes) and worked through five full frames for the first time.

No mercy (rule)

Kentucky’s offensive outburst went mostly unnoticed thanks to an immediate response from the Gators. Donay homered for the second time on the day, a no-doubter to left field. 10-4, UF.

An unintentional intentional walk (four straight balls) put Caglianone on, and he quickly scampered around the bases. A wild pitch gave him second base and Caglianone straight-up stole third. [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] drove him in with an infield single. 11-4, UF.

Shelton walked, initiating another pitching change for Kentucky, and Heyman promptly rocketed a ball past third to score Shelnut. Wilson brought in both runners with a poke to right. 14-4, UF.

Cags makes history

Only one more run crossed over the final four innings, but it’s the one that’s going to be remembered the most 20 years from now.

Jac Caglianone broke the program record for home runs with his 75th as a Florida Gator, passing Matt Laporta. At times, it felt impossible that he would break this record, but Caglianone was intent on cementing himself as the greatest slugger in program history. 15-4, UF.

Save the bullpen

Perhaps the most important outcome of this game was the rest Florida’s bullpen got. [autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] threw two scoreless innings in relief of Coppola. He struck out four, walked just one and only allowed one base hit.

[autotag]Alex Philpott[/autotag] looked stellar in his first appearance since April 9. Philpott was dealing with an injury for a bit, but he showed no signs of rust in Omaha. He retired all six batters he faced, in order, including three strikeouts.

Liam Peterson is expected to start against Texas A&M.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida eliminates NC State, stays alive in College World Series

Win or go home games bring out the best in the Gators. Florida eliminated North Carolina State on Monday to stay alive in the College World Series.

The Florida Gators baseball team lives to see another day after eliminating the North Carolina State Wolfpack from the College World Series on Monday afternoon, 5-4.

What was expected to be a matchup of left-handers on the mound didn’t go quite as planned, but the end result provided just as much tension as every other game in Omaha over the past few days.

[autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] only lasted an inning before moving to the designated hitter spot in Florida’s lineup card. The broadcast showed him rubbing his elbow on his throwing arm (left) after the first, and [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] replaced him to start the second inning.

Caglianone needed 33 pitches to get out of the first frame. He walked two, hit a batter and gave up a base hit but managed to keep NC State mostly quiet in the run column. Wolfpack shortstop Brandon Butterworth singled through the left side to plate the only run of the inning.

Fisher looked good in relief despite allowing three runs to cross. He went four innings for the first time since March 22 against LSU and didn’t deal with the command issues that have plagued him all year. Fisher walked one, hit one and gave up a two-run homer, but he also struck out three and kept the lead without wasting more arms.

Florida’s four-run second inning provided most of the run support needed for the night.

Caglianone delivered the big blow, his 34th home run of the season and 74th with the Florida Gators — both program records.  An 18-degree launch angle doesn’t usually translate to a home run, but Caglianone barreled this one up and sent it off the bat at 116 mph.

[autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag] and [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag] scored on the liner that sliced through the gusting winds in Omaha over the wall in right-center field. Before that, [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] drove in Florida’s first run of the day following a pair of walks to Donay and [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag].

Seven runs crossed through the first three innings, but the offense slowed to a crawl after that. Both teams scored in the fifth, but it was all bullpen otherwise. [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] hit a solo homer for Florida, and Butterworth drove in another with a double to right.

Kevin O’Sullivan stuck with Fisher through the fifth, but a leadoff walk in the sixth put the one-run lead at risk. Redshirt freshman [autotag]Jake Clement[/autotag]e took over and retired the next three batters on contact, but his leash was short, too. Sully turned to his closer, [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag], for another nine-out save.

Neely dominated. He struck out six of the 11 batters he faced and allowed just two baserunners. Neither fazed him.

There hasn’t been a better closer in baseball than Neely over the past two weeks, but the Gators will have to do it without him tomorrow against the loser of Kentucky–Texas A&M (which starts at 7 p.m. ET).

The first pitch on Tuesday will be at 7 p.m. ET as well.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida headed to College World Series in Clemson after 13-inning thriller

In the most dramatic way possible, Florida claimed its spot in Omaha on Sunday night as the Gators took down the Clemson Tigers to advance to the College World Series.

Against all odds, the Florida Gators are headed back to Omaha.

Despite a 28-27 finish to the season, including the SEC Tournament, Florida managed to make it out of the Stillwater Regional over Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Niagara and then won the Clemson Super Regional without allowing the Tigers to take a game at home.

Florida, playing as the home team, won a 13-inning thriller off the bat of center fielder [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag]. Clemson scored in the top of the final frame to take the lead, but Florida’s offense did what they do best — come back to win a big game.

Robertson’s liner to left-center slowed Clemson’s outfielders to an eventual stop as they realized their season was coming to an end. Jaylen Guy scored the tying run pinch-running for [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] made the Gators winners.

Heyman and Shelnut both singled to spark the late rally, but [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag]’ sacrifice bunt set up the winning moment. [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag], who homered in the sixth, was intentionally walked to take away the squeeze bunt, but Robertson came through in the clutch.

It’s a full-circle moment for Robertson, who started the season as one of the SEC’s best center fielders. A slump at the plate moved him into a platoon situation with Guy, but he reclaimed the full-time role by season’s end, partially due to injuries.

[autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] went 5 2/3 innings for Florida on the mound and tied his program record for home runs with his 33rd. When Caglianone handed the ball over in the sixth, he was in line for the win and Florida had a 7-4 lead.

[autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] was first out of the bullpen and looked dominant in the seventh striking out the side, but trouble in the eighth moved [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] to bring in closer [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] despite the four innings he threw on Saturday.

Two runs crossed, making it a one-run game, but Neely got them right back courtesy of an [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag] two-run shot that punished Clemson after intentionally walking Caglianone.

Neely was running out of gas, though, and a three-run homer from center fielder Cam Cannarella in the top of the ninth put extra innings in play.

Wilson nearly walked it off in the 10th with a ball to the fence, but Cannarella saved Clemson’s season again with a Willie Mays basket catch to end the frame.

[autotag]Luke McNeillie[/autotag] earned the win, pitching the final two innings for Florida. [autotag]Frank Menendez[/autotag] walked the only batter he faced between him and Neely.

The College World Series begins on Friday, June 14. Florida awaits the completion of the other Super Regionals. So far, Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia are in the field.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida takes down No. 6 Clemson in super regional opener

Down three on the road against the No. 6 team in the country, Jac Caglianone blasted his 31st homer of the season to spark another comeback win for the Florida Gators.

Far from perfect, the Florida Gators battled back against the No. 6 Clemson Tigers on Saturday to claim the first game of a best-of-three series, 10-7, moving within one win of a second straight College World Series appearance.

[autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] shifted the momentum of the game in the fifth inning with a three-run, game-tying home run. He knew it off the bat and jogged around the bases for the 32nd time this season, one shy of his program-record mark from a year ago.

The homer knotted the game at five runs apiece, but Florida left the frame with a four-run lead after plating seven. Caglianone cleared the bases with no outs on the board, allowing the offense to trade a pair of outs for the lead — [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] scored [autotag]Colby Shelton[/autotag] on a fielder’s choice and [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag] got a sacrifice bunt down. Thomas scored the final run of the inning off a Michael Robertson single.

Before that, Clemson had complete control of the game. Freshman right-hander [autotag]Liam Peterson[/autotag] struggled mightily in his first super regional appearance. He lasted just an inning after giving up two of three runs on wild pitches.

[autotag]Fisher Jameson[/autotag] took over in relief, pitching through the fifth. Although he was mostly effective, Jameson gave up a pair of solo home runs, deepening the hole. He came back out for the sixth after getting a lead but got the hook after losing the leadoff batter. [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] got to see one batter, but Kevin O’Sullivan pulled him after a single put men on first and third.

With trouble brewing, Sully turned to his closer, [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag], who shut down the Tigers lineup for four innings. He struck out seven of the 13 batters he faced, including three straight in the eighth. It’s a shame that he’ll end the season with only a handful of saves — tonight was his fourth — because he’s one of the game’s elite closers, especially in the playoffs.

Clemson scored two in the sixth as Neely worked out of that jam, but Luke Heyman got one back in the ninth with a solo shot. [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] also went deep in the fourth, and [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag] drove in the first run of the day for Florida with a sac fly in the third.

Florida will be the home team on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET. A win sends the Gators to Omaha again, but a loss means a Game 3.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida softball’s WCWS ends in extras against No. 2 Oklahoma

Florida softball’s magical 2024 season has ended in heartbreak as the Oklahoma Sooners completed a comeback bid in extra innings to advance to the Women’s College World Series Finals.

Florida was four outs away from its first Women’s College World Series Finals appearance since 2017, but the three-time national champion Oklahoma Sooners completed a 6-5 comeback in extra innings to end the Gators’ season in heartbreaking fashion.

Jayda Coleman delivered the knockout blowout, homering to left. Florida left fielder [autotag]Korbe Otis[/autotag] got to the wall in time and leaped, but the ball was just beyond her reach.

Coleman’s blast was one of six on the day, three of which came from the Orange and Blue. [autotag]Jocelyn Erickson[/autotag] opened up the scoring with a two-run home run in the first, followed by Ariel Kowalewski’s two-run shot in the second.

[autotag]Reagan Walsh[/autotag] drove in the final run of the season for Florida with a solo shot to left in the third. Spirits were high. The Gators had a solid lead with their ace on the mound, but the Sooners kept chipping away at the three-run deficit.

Cydney Sanders homered in the fourth to cut the lead back down to one, and a two-out double in the sixth from Ella Parker ultimately forced extras.

It’s hard to fault Florida’s pitcher, Keagan Rothrock, even though she gave up a walk-off home run to end the season. Rothrock threw 154 pitches in her final outing as a freshman, striking out three and walking five.

The future is bright for Florida with most of the team set to return in 2025, but this is the end of the road for seniors Baylee Goddard, Avery Goelz, Katie Kistler, [autotag]Skylar Wallace[/autotag], Emily Wilkie and Mackenzie Wooten.

Wallace will go down as one of the best to ever wear the Orange and Blue after three straight All-American seasons. She holds several program records.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida completes regional comeback, upsets Oklahoma State to advance

The Florida Gators are regional champions and will face Clemson in a three-game super regional series.

A month ago, Florida hardly looked like an NCAA Tournament team, but a switch flipped during the Georgia series and the Gators are now headed to the super regionals after taking down regional host Oklahoma State, 4-2, on Monday night.

Florida had already played four games over the weekend, so pitching depth was thin coming into the game. Redshirt freshman [autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] and true freshmen left-hander [autotag]Frank Menendez[/autotag] kept the Cowboys quiet enough through 5 2/3 innings, setting the table for junior [autotag]Fisher Jameson[/autotag] to slam the door shut.

Menendez earned his first win of the season, and Clemente was solid in his second start of the year. The Cowboys made solid contact off him a few times but it took until the fourth inning to score off him.

Clemente didn’t have his best stuff, walking three batters to just two strikeouts, but he left the game with a lead in the fourth. Aidan Meola doubled in a run, bringing out [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] to make the switch.

Florida’s early lead came from the two most unlikely heroes in the lineup. [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag] continued his regional run for the ages with a liner to right-center that scored both [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag] in the third. Robertson added another run in the fourth with a poke to left field, beating the shift.

[autotag]Frank Menendez[/autotag] was first out of the bullpen, making his first appearance for the Gators since May 16. He went a career-high 2 1/3 innings, but it wasn’t without drama.

Menendez came into the game with two men on but got a pair of fly balls with his changeup, which even had O’Sullivan doling out some praise during the in-game interview. It’s the same pitch he used to strike out Meola in the fifth, capping off an escape from a bases-loaded jam with no outs.

Sully also said he needed to use Menendez as long as he could, bringing him back out for the sixth. A two-out walk ended his day, but he delivered the bullpen performance Florida needed in the biggest game of the year. A run on a sacrifice fly is a small price to pay considering the circumstances.

[autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] added an insurance run with a monster home run to left center in the bottom of the sixth, his 14th of the season.

Fisher Jameson came in after Menendez and did his best Branon Neely impression. He made sure Sully couldn’t take the ball from him by retiring all 10 batters he faced without a blemish. Perfection when it was needed most.

Jameson struck out four, including the final batter of the day, igniting a celebration back in Gainesville and sending the Oklahoma State fans home with disappointment across their faces.

It wasn’t easy to come out on top in Stillwater, but Florida got the pitching performances it needed to make it to the Supers. Clemson is next. Best of two out of three, starting on Friday or Saturday.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.