Florida Claims Series with Dominant Effort Over Kentucky

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida used a whole efficiency on either side of the ball to say the collection over Kentucky with a 9-1 victory in sport two at Condron Family Ballpark on Saturday night time.
 
Game two started in April and in the end concluded in May. Following a 56-minute rain delay that pushed the beginning time to six:56 p.m., a second climate delay struck within the backside of the fourth that lasted two hours and eight minutes.
 
Following a scoreless first inning from beginning pitcher Brandon Neely, the Gators (25-17, 8-12 SEC) jumped on the Wildcats (23-20, 6-14 SEC) for a trio of runs within the backside half. Wyatt Langford led off with an extra-base hit for the second-straight sport, legging out a triple to proper heart. Sterlin Thompson then reached on a throwing error by Kentucky second baseman Daniel Harris IV to drive in Langford, whereas Jud Fabian doubled down the left-field line on the primary pitch to attain Thompson. BT Riopelle then singled to proper heart to plate J. Fabian to cap off the massive body.
 
Neely went proper again to work within the second, stranding a pair of Wildcat runners in scoring place to navigate out of the inning. That opened the door for the Gators so as to add on, as Josh Rivera led off the underside of the second with a solo shot to straightaway heart subject. Thompson proceeded to contribute an RBI double into the left-center hole whereas Riopelle drove in two extra runs with a single to proper, scoring Thompson and J. Fabian.
 
With the rating at 7-0, rain started to pour down on Condron Family Ballpark, inflicting a two hour and eight minute delay. That compelled Neely out of the sport prematurely, as right-hander Tyler Nesbitt took over duties on the mound upon resumption of play.
 
After receiving a zero from Nesbitt, the Florida bats picked up the place they left off. The Gators shortly loaded the bases on a Riopelle single and walks by Jac Caglianone and Rivera. From there, Colby Halter prolonged the result in 8-0 with a bunt single down the third-base line to usher in Riopelle.
 
Kentucky broke into the scoring column within the sixth, as Ryan Ritter doubled in Harris IV to finish the shutout bid. Florida answered with a run of their very own within the seventh, with Caglianone going yard to left subject for his second dwelling run of the marketing campaign.
 
Neely (1-0) earned his first-career victory as a starter, tossing 4 no-hit innings with one stroll and 4 strikeouts. The freshman right-hander remained eligible for the win after being compelled out of the sport as a result of climate.
 
Kentucky beginning pitcher Zack Lee (1-1) was saddled with the loss after lasting simply 1 2/3 innings with seven runs allowed (six earned) on 5 hits and one stroll whereas placing out three.

Thompson (2-for-5), Riopelle (3-for-5) and Rivera (2-for-3) all notched a number of hits within the win.

NOTABLES

• Game two started in April and concluded in May.
• Langford led off with an extra-base hit for the second-consecutive sport since being transfer to the highest spot within the order.

  • He linked for a leadoff dwelling run in sport one and legged out a triple in sport two.

• Over the final three video games, Florida starters (Sproat and Neely twice) have mixed for 16 1/3 innings with one run allowed on six hits whereas placing out 17.

  • Neely threw 4 no-hit innings earlier than being lifted as a result of a two hour and eight minute rain delay.

    • Neely didn’t permit a success till the seventh inning in his earlier begin vs. No. 1 Tennessee, retiring 19 Vols earlier than surrendering a success.

• J. Fabian and Thompson drove in runs whereas Langford, Thompson and Langford all picked up hits

  • The trio of Thompson, Langford and J. Fabian has recorded an RBI in 35 of 42 video games this yr whereas registering a success in 41 of 42 video games.

• Florida is now 146-70-1 all-time towards Kentucky.

  • The Gators are 64-38-1 vs. the Wildcats at dwelling.
  • Florida has received 11 of the final 14 conferences together with six of the earlier seven.

    • The Gators have now received five-straight towards the Wildcats.

• Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan is 25-19 vs. Kentucky.

  • That features a 12-8 mark at dwelling.

• Rivera prolonged his team-leading on-base streak to 16 video games.
• Thompson prolonged his on-base streak to 12 video games and his team-leading hitting streak to eight straight.

FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O’SULLIVAN
On Neely’s outing and the offense…
“We scored three in the first and four in the second and got off to a really good start against a really good starting pitcher. His numbers coming in were really good, so obviously jumping out to a big lead there after the first two… I felt Brandon really settled in after the second inning. He had some deep counts and had a little trouble getting the ball down the first couple of innings but he’s been really good again. It’s unfortunate that we had the rain. I thought he was starting to get into a rhythm at that point.”
 
On the rain delays…
“We’ve had plenty of rain delays here, especially later in the season… [we] just came in the clubhouse and watched some of the other games that were going on at the same time. It’s really the players that need to go out and play and everyone has to stay ready to go. The only decision we have to make is to figure out who is going to the mound.”
 
On the group gaining confidence on the plate…
“I think we have swung the bats pretty good the entire year, but I think moving Wyatt to the top of the order has changed some things. Moving Sterlin to two and Jud to three and B.T. to four and Jac up to the six spot has helped us. We’ve been getting a lot of production out of the bottom of the order.”

UP NEXT

Florida and Kentucky face off within the collection finale scheduled for Sunday at 12 p.m. ET on SEC Network.