Bobby Boser homered three times while Ashton Wilson drove in four and finished a triple shy of the cycle.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – UF third baseman Bobby Boser<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/bobby-boser/17349> slugged three home runs as part of a 13-hit attack to lift Florida to a 14-4 run-rule victory over Stetson in seven innings at Condron Family Ballpark on Tuesday night.
Boser (3-for-5) became the first Gator to mash three home runs in a game since Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/16365> accomplished the feat against Cincinnati on Feb. 26, 2023. In doing so, the Wesley Chapel, Fla. native also extended his on-base streak to 19-straight games and set a new career high in single-season RBI (42). Florida’s mercy-rule onslaught was also powered by Ashton Wilson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/ashton-wilson/17336> (3-for-4), who finished a triple shy of the cycle while driving in a team-high four runs.
Florida (25-14) scored 11 of its 14 runs with two outs, tying the team’s season high with five homers in the process. The Orange & Blue plated three runs in four different innings including each of the final three frames to improve to 8-0 at home against the Hatters (24-14) under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/kevin-o-sullivan/1999>.
The Gators and Hatters exchanged blows in the first inning, with Stetson plating a pair to take an early, 2-1 lead after one. The Hatters scored two unearned runs following a fielding error at second base, as Foster Apple and Jordan Taylor produced RBI singles. Florida got one run right back thanks to a leadoff home run off the batter’s eye in center field by Boser.
Stetson loaded the bases with a trio of singles to start off the top of the second, two of which were bunts hits. Starter Jackson Barberi<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jackson-barberi/17354> battled back to strand the bases loaded, inducing a flyout to shallow left before fanning Lorenzo Meola and Landon Moran.
Crooked numbers found the scoreboard again in the third, with Stetson extending its lead to 4-1 on a two-out, two-run homer to right from Nelphie Lopez. Florida answered with a three-spot in the bottom half to reset the score at 4-4, beginning with a fielding error on a fly ball in left field off the bat of Luke Heyman<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-heyman/17327> that allowed Brendan Lawson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brendan-lawson/17350> to score from first base. From there, Brody Donay<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brody-donay/17324> doubled to right field to drive home Heyman and Cyr scampered home due to an error in right on the two-bagger.
Right-handed reliever Alex Philpott<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/alex-philpott/17333> chucked a clean frame to hold the stalemate through the top of the fourth, at which point the Gators jumped in front. With two outs in the home half, Boser connected for his second homer of the night to give Florida a 5-4 edge.
The Gators broke the game open in the fifth, doing all the damage with two outs. Donay singled to shortstop then advanced to second on Hayden Yost<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/hayden-yost/17337> walk. After working a full count, Wilson drilled a three-run shot into the left-field bullpen to give Florida a commanding, 8-4 lead.
Philpott retired the side in order in the sixth, logging two strikeouts to increase his total to four. Boser struck again in the bottom half, smashing a moonshot of a solo home run to left-center for his third tank of the game. Four batters later, Cyr hit UF’s fifth homer of the night via a two-run bomb to left to make it 11-4 in favor of Florida.
Holding a seven-run advantage, righty Christian Rodriguez<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/christian-rodriguez/17334> entered in the seventh and delivered a one-two-three frame. That allowed the Gators to end the contest prematurely in seven innings, as Yost and Wilson barreled back-to-back doubles for UF’s 12th run to get it started. With two runners in scoring position, Lawson snuck a two-out, automatic double inside the right-field line and onto the berm to plate Landon Stripling<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/landon-stripling/17351> and Wilson. That swing invoked the run rule, giving the Gators a 14-4 victory.
Philpott (2-3) picked up his second win in as many games, limiting Stetson to one run across 3 1/3 innings of relief. The right-hander gave up just one hit and one walk while striking out four batters.
Hatters relief pitcher Mason Davenport dropped to 0-4 after surrendering four earned runs in two frames. Davenport forfeited four hits and one walk, striking out one.
Barberi pitched 2 2/3 innings with three runs allowed (two earned) in the no-decision. He finished with five hits allowed, two walks and four strikeouts.
Stetson starter Zane Coppersmith did not factor into the decision either, allowing one earned run over 1 2/3 frames on three hits and two strikeouts.
NOTABLES
* The Gators tied their season high with five home runs.
* Florida scored 11 of its 14 runs with two outs.
* Florida has won five-straight games overall.
* The Gators swept the season series against the Hatters (2-0).
* Florida delivered its ninth come-from-behind win of the season.
* The Gators won their eighth game via the run rule.
* The Gators improved to a perfect 7-0 in home midweek contests and 10-2 overall in midweeks.
* Florida rose to 21-3 in non-conference play.
* The Gators have gone 12-3 in 15 games against in-state competition.
* Boser recorded his third multi-homer game of the season, finishing with a career-high three home runs on the night.
* He became the first Gator with a three-homer game since Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/16365> against Cincinnati on Feb. 26, 2023.
* Boser led off the home half of the first with his 12th home run.
* His second home run gave UF a 5-4 lead in the fourth.
* Boser’s third homer came in the sixth, giving him a team-high 14 home runs.
* Boser took sole control of the team lead in RBI (42), setting a new single-season career high.
* Wilson swatted his second homer of the year.
* Cyr launched his seventh home run of the season.
* Philpott has earned the win in each of Florida’s last two games.
* The Gators are now 5-0 when Barberi starts on the mound.
* Shelton has reached safely in 38 of 39 contests this season.
* Shelton produced his team-high 21st multi-hit game.
* Shelton hit his SEC-leading 18th double.
* Boser has reached base safely in 19-straight games.
* Florida improved to 88-36 all-time against Stetson including 50-11 at home.
* The Gators are 13-2 overall and 8-0 in Gainesville in the series under O’Sullivan.
* Tuesday night’s official attendance was 4,948.
FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O’SULLIVAN
On the outcome of the game…
“I mean, Stetson came in playing really well. I think they are 13-2 in their league. I think they had a sub-4.00 ERA as a staff. They got some guys that can run. They handled us pretty well down there in DeLand earlier in the year and we talked about that. I think Barberi, starting with the pitching side of things, ran a little out of gas there in the second inning when he had bases loaded, nobody out. I don’t know if he was getting into his legs or maybe spinning off there a little bit there in the third. Other than the two-run homer that Philpott gave up to Lopez, he was outstanding and really the game kind of switched gears when he started pitching in to those right-handed hitters. Rodriguez, good outing for him. On an offensive standpoint, what can you say about Boser’s night? You know, three home runs. Wilson, I think got three hits and had four RBIs and a three-run homer. Donay had two key hits in the ballgame. And then Lawson, this is the second-consecutive walk-off for him. All in all, it was a really good night for us.”
On what allows Boser to excel in the leadoff spot…
“I think he’s got great make-up. I think he’s just tough as nails. We led off Wyatt [Langford] in the past too and he wasn’t your traditional guy. But even though he’s got a bit of strikeouts, his on-base percentage is pretty good and statistically that’s where a lot of, especially at the major league level, that’s the ones that they’re looking at is on-base percentage. And that’s how they’re adjusting their lineups. So, he’s done a really good job. And he can run. He can run, he can steal some bases and he does a lot of different things. He’s a dynamic player.”
On Boser’s big game and recent lineup adjustments…
“Boser just had a great night. That’s the other thing. In the leadoff spot, maybe that’s a spark because we have been playing from behind quite a bit this year. And hopefully most of the moves you make, they work, but certainly he’s helped us generate more runs in the first. If you look at the amount of runs we score each inning, the first inning or two have been probably our least productive other than the ninth, and that’s for obvious reasons. You face arguably their best arm at the end. But yeah, it certainly gave us a spark and quite honestly, the other thing I said the other day was it was painful writing Lawson’s name in the five-spot. I just wanted to figure out a way we could move him up. Obviously, we got a really tough lefty on Friday night, but for the most part, they both handle left-hand pitchers alright. Getting Lawson up in that spot, we would not have maybe had the opportunity to finish the game on Saturday night. So far, so good with the lineup changes.”
UP NEXT
Having completed their nine-game homestand, the Gators travel to Starkville, Miss. for a three-game, weekend series at Mississippi State from April 18-20. All three games will be televised: Friday at 8 p.m. ET on SEC Network, Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
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