GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida was shut out by No. 23 Vanderbilt in game one, falling 6-0 at Condron Family Ballpark on Friday night.
The Gators (20-12, 1-9 SEC) and Commodores (22-8, 5-5 SEC) exchanged zeros across the first two innings, with starting hurlers Liam Peterson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/liam-peterson/17332> and JD Thompson engaged in a pitchers’ duel. Vanderbilt opened the scoring in the top half of the third, capitalizing on a two-out walk of Mike Mancini as RJ Austin produced an RBI triple to left-center to open a 1-0 lead.
Peterson rebounded by using a strikeout and 4-6-3 double play to face the minimum in the fourth. Vanderbilt re-entered the scoring column in the fifth, utilizing an RBI double from Austin and run-scoring single by Riley Nelson to push the score to 3-0.
The Commodores threatened again in the sixth, but right-hander Jake Clemente<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jake-clemente/17322> entered and stranded the bases loaded by posting back-to-back strikeouts of Jacob Humphrey and Mancini. Clemente collected two more strikeouts to strand a pair of Commodores in the seventh.
Vanderbilt struck again in the top of the eighth on an RBI single to center from Mancini, scoring Jonathan Vastine. With two men down, Nelson came through with a two-run single to right to make it 6-0 in favor of the Commodores.
The Gators opened the bottom of the ninth with consecutive singles by Brendan Lawson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brendan-lawson/17350> and Luke Heyman<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-heyman/17327>, but Vanderbilt reliever Sawyer Hawks recorded the save by retiring the next three UF batters in order.
Commodores reliever Miller Green (1-2) earned the win, retiring the lone batter he faced via the strikeout for the final out of the fifth inning.
Peterson dropped to 4-2 after pitching 5 1/3 frames with three earned runs allowed. The UF right-hander was charged with five hits allowed, five walks and six strikeouts.
Thompson came within one out of qualifying for the decision, providing 4 2/3 scoreless innings while giving up four hits and three walks. The southpaw struck out two.
Colby Shelton (2-for-4) and Heyman (2-for-4) logged multiple hits for the Orange & Blue.
NOTABLES
* Florida was shut out for the second time this season (both in SEC play).
* The Gators were shut out at home for the first time since April 23, 2022 vs. No. 1 Tennessee.
* Shelton produced his team-leading 16th multi hit game of the season, finishing 2-for-4 on the night.
* Shelton has reached base safely in 31 of 32 games.
* Peterson lost his first home start in five outings (4-1) this season.
* Barberi recorded the last five outs for Florida and did not allow a run while fanning four.
* Florida is now 148-83-1 all-time against Vanderbilt including 84-25 at home.
* The Gators are 35-25 overall and 19-10 in Gainesville in the series under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/kevin-o-sullivan/1999>.
* Friday night’s official attendance was 5,659.
FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O’SULLIVAN
On trying to spark the offense with small ball…
“We tried to bunt… You got to make the third baseman field it, right? So with a left-hander on the mound, he doesn’t have to reverse his feet, and he bunted it back towards the mound and he got the force out at third.”
On if last season provides optimism for a turnaround…
“I mean, we just need some guys to step up. I thought Liam’s start was pretty good. But once again, the ten walks, I’ve never quite seen something like this. We have to have some urgency; I mean we are one and [nine] in the league. We walked the eight, nine-hole hitters four times tonight and I think twice to lead off an inning. We once again walked two guys in the eighth that led to three runs. You know, it was just not good.”
UP NEXT
The Gators and Commodores meet again in game two on Saturday, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.
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