Freshman Brendan Lawson (2-for-4) cranked a go-ahead, three-run home run in the fifth inning.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida turned three double plays and scored four of five runs with two outs to upset No. 9 Florida State, 5-4, while claiming the season series at Condron Family Ballpark on Tuesday night.
By securing tonight’s rubber match in the season-long series, the Gators (21-14) have now won seven of the last eight season series against the Seminoles (25-7). Florida has taken 10 of 16 season series against FSU in the Kevin O’Sullivan<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/kevin-o-sullivan/1999> era, highlighted by wins in 24 of the last 32 meetings.
Rookie Brendan Lawson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brendan-lawson/17350> (2-for-4) did the heavy lifting for the Gators at the plate, drilling a three-run homer and RBI double to finish with a team-high four RBI. Colby Shelton<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/colby-shelton/17335> (2-for-4) posted his 18th multi-hit game and scored one run while Luke Heyman<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-heyman/17327> (1-for-3) scored twice, drove in one run and doubled.
On the mound, starter Jackson Barberi<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jackson-barberi/17354> set the tone with three-innings of one-run ball and freshman McCall Biemiller<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/mccall-biemiller/17359> was awarded his first-career win following one scoreless inning of relief. Closer Jake Clemente<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jake-clemente/17322> was lights out, as he retired all six batters he faced to log the first save of his career.
Barberi fanned two to blank the Seminoles in the top of the first, allowing the Gators to open the scoring in the home half. Bobby Boser<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/bobby-boser/17349> and Shelton laced singles while Heyman plated the former on an RBI groundout to shortstop.
After another zero from Barberi in the second, Florida State scratched a run across in the third to knot the tally at 1-1. Max Williams scored Brody DeLamielleure on a sacrifice fly down the right-field line before Barberi worked out of the frame by fanning Myles Bailey for the final out.
Florida promptly answered in the bottom of the third to retake a 2-1 advantage. With two men down, Heyman and Lawson swatted back-to-back doubles.
Holding a one-run lead, Florida turned to right-hander Caden McDonald<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/caden-mcdonald/17329> in the fourth. The redshirt freshman used a 4-6-3 double play to produce a scoreless frame for the Orange & Blue.
In the top of the fifth, the Seminoles tied it back up as DeLamielleure led off with a solo homer to right-center. But once again, the Gators answered. With two outs and two runners on in the bottom of the fifth, Lawson unloaded for a go-ahead, three-run tank into the right-field bullpen to give Florida a 5-2 lead.
Following a leadoff walk in the sixth, righty Luke McNeillie<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-mcneillie/17330> entered on the mound for Florida. McNeillie struck out two-straight Noles then induced an inning-ending groundout to eliminate the threat.
Florida State cut the UF edge to 5-4 thanks to a two-run seventh, beginning with a two-out RBI single to center from Bailey. Gage Harrelson then scampered home on a passed ball to bring FSU within one run.
Clemente’s number was called at the onset of the eighth. The UF righty fired a clean frame capped by consecutive strikeouts to end the inning.
Clemente remained on the hill in the ninth to close out the game. The UF closer fanned the first two Seminoles to reach four-straight strikeouts before inducing a flyout of Williams to secure his first-career save and a season series victory over Florida State.
Biemiller (1-0) received his first victory, tossing one shutout inning on one walk and one strikeout. Seminoles relief hurler Maison Martinez dropped to 0-2 as he was charged with three earned runs on two hits and two walks in one inning.
Barberi did not qualify for the decision, throwing three innings of one-run ball on five hits and four strikeouts. He did not issue a walk.
FSU starter Peyton Prescott did not factor into the decision either, lasting one inning and surrendering one earned run on two hits.
NOTABLES
* With tonight’s win, the Gators have now claimed seven of the last eight season series against the Seminoles.
* Florida has won 10 of 16 seasons series vs. FSU under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/kevin-o-sullivan/1999>.
* The Gators turned three double plays – two to end innings – in the first five frames.
* Florida improved to 2-3 in one-run games.
* Lawson gave Florida the lead with a three-run homer in the fifth, marking his eighth long ball of the year.
* With a team-high four RBI tonight, Lawson tied Boser for the team lead with 37 runs driven in.
* Clemente earned his first-career save, retiring all six batters he faced to finish with two shutout, no-hit innings with four strikeouts.
* Biemiller secured his first-career win on the mound by pitching a scoreless fifth inning.
* Shelton has reached safely in 34 of 35 contests this season.
* Shelton produced his team-high 18th multi-hit game.
* Boser has reached base safely in 15-straight games.
* Florida is now 129-135-1 all-time against FSU including 67-50 at home.
* The Gators are 37-23 overall and 19-4 in Gainesville in the series under O’Sullivan.
* Florida has won 24 of the last 32 meetings.
* Tuesday night ‘s official attendance was 6,059.
FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O’SULLIVAN
On Barberi’s start and the outcome of the game…
“Yeah, I thought his stuff was really good. He didn’t walk anybody, right? And I thought, against an older lineup, especially the top half of the lineup, I thought he did everything he’s supposed to do. We turned three double plays in key spots. I thought Biemiller, other than the leadoff walk after we scored three off from Brendan’s home run, and that’s probably the only negative of the game, we still had seven walks and a lot of them came with 0-2, 1-2 counts. But I think Luke McNeillie’s<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-mcneillie/17330> line many not be indicative of how he threw the ball. I thought he threw the ball with much more conviction and obviously that’s the best Jake’s pitched all year long. His pace was just outstanding in the ninth. He had to go through the top of the order and normally in these situations in one-run games, you don’t want to get beat in, so somebody can tie the game up with one swing…. But yeah, he was great and squeezed it out, but it was an important win for us. We talked about it before the game. Number one, it gives us a chance, an opportunity to win the series against one of our rivals. And hopefully, this game gets us jump-started. Something has to get going for us and I think it’s good that we’re getting back out there on Thursday. It’s a quick turnaround and hopefully this will give us some momentum, at least you hope.”
On the offense taking advantage with two outs…
“This weekend was really frustrating for everybody and you’re always going to have weekends like that for whatever reason, but quite frankly we scored five runs in three games. You’re not going to win many games like that. And to have another quick turnaround in front of a great crowd tonight, and for us to play probably one of our best games in quite some time was very encouraging.”
On Lawson’s big night at the plate…
“He just continues to amaze, being such a younger player. A freshman in our program and having the ability to rise up like he did against Ole Miss and hit the grand slam when they intentionally walked Colby, and he got us going on the board with a line drive into right-center. And then got an 0-2 pitch that was a mistake, and hit it for a three-run homer. So yeah, I’ve said this, I’ve said it once, I’ve said it probably 25 times now. He’s a special hitter. He’s advanced and just continues to amaze. He doesn’t chase. His feel for the strike zone, he doesn’t chase up, doesn’t chase down. He handles left-handed pitching. He’s done a really, really good job. Really good job.”
UP NEXT
Florida hosts Missouri in a three-game series at Condron Family Ballpark from Thursday, April 10 through Saturday, April 12. Thursday night’s opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. on SEC Network.
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