Game two on Saturday has been bumped up to a 1 p.m. first pitch due to weather.
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Florida outlasted South Carolina in a marathon of a series opener by a final score of 9-5 at Founders Park on Friday night.
Sluggers Luke Heyman<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-heyman/17327> (2-for-4) and Ty Evans<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-evans/17325> (2-for-4) did the heavy lifting on offense, as both Gators homered highlighted by Evans’ go-ahead grand slam in the fifth. Heyman also roped a double to finish with two RBI to combine with Evans for six runs driven in. Closer Jake Clemente<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jake-clemente/17322> was once again lights out at the end of the game, recording his sixth save in the last 13 contests with three shutout innings of relief.
The Gators (31-16, 9-13 SEC) and Gamecocks (26-21, 5-17 SEC) played for nine minutes in game one before the action has halted with a full count and zero outs in the bottom of the first due to a nearby lightning strike. Play did not resume until 10:15 p.m., as UF right-hander Alex Philpott<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/alex-philpott/17333> assumed pitching duties following the three-plus hour delay.
South Carolina promptly scored three runs upon the return to the diamond to open a 3-0 lead after one inning. Henry Kaczmar singled home one run while Jordan Carrion drove in a pair with a double down the right-field line. Beau Hollins capped off the frame with an RBI infield single to second base.
After working the Gators out of the first, righty Luke McNeillie<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-mcneillie/17330> chucked a rebound zero in the second inning. The Florida bats responded by breaking into the scoring column in the top of the third, beginning with a leadoff single through the left side by Justin Nadeau<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/justin-nadeau/17342>. The UF second baseman moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bobby Boser<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/bobby-boser/17349> and scored on a two-out RBI double down the left-field line by Heyman.
The Gamecocks got the run right back in the home half of the third to make it 4-1. With two men down, Hollins singled in Jase Woita with a knock to left. The inning could have been worse for the Orange & Blue, as center fielder Hayden Yost<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/hayden-yost/17337> robbed a potential two-run homer from Kennedy Jones on a miraculous leaping catcher over the wall.
Florida’s momentum-shifting swing came in the fourth. With Landon Stripling<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/landon-stripling/17351> on first base via a walk, Yost provided another boost with a two-run shot to right field that cut the deficit to 4-3.
UF right-hander Caden McDonald<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/caden-mcdonald/17329> held the score in bottom-four, retiring the side in order while picking up one strikeout. That once again opened the door for the UF offense, as the game changed in a major way in the fifth inning.
Driving in his second run of the day, Heyman hit the eighth pitch of his at bat over the left-field wall to tie the score at four runs apiece. With the bases loaded and one out later in the frame, Evans demolished a 1-0 offering for a 426-foot grand slam to center field as the Gators shot out to a commanding, 8-4 advantage.
South Carolina answered with a solo homer from Woita in bottom-five to cut the UF lead to 8-5. Righty Billow Barlow then entered with two on and one out, stranding both baserunners with a strikeout and foul out to second base to limit the damage. Barlow returned to the hill in the sixth and tossed a clean frame to keep the Gators ahead by three.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Gamecocks loaded the bases with zero outs. Clemente buckled down from there, striking out three-straight batters to strand the bags juiced and send the matchup into the eighth inning.
The scoreless seventh recharged the Gators, as Yost scored an insurance run in the home half of the eighth on a sacrifice fly to right field from Boser. That pushed the Florida lead to 9-5, where the score would stay through the eighth thanks to another scoreless inning from Clemente.
The ninth belonged to Clemente as well, who navigated around a leadoff single to lock down his sixth save with three scoreless innings. The UF closer concluded with four hits allowed, one walk and six strikeouts.
McDonald rose to 4-0 behind 1 1/3 relief frames of one-run ball. The redshirt freshman gave up two hits and one walk while registering one strikeout.
Gamecocks reliever Jackson Soucie (3-1) received his first loss, surrendering five runs (four earned) over two-thirds of an inning. The southpaw was charged with two hits allowed, two walks and two strikeouts.
Florida starter Liam Peterson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/liam-peterson/17332> threw just five pitches before weather ended his outing prematurely in the bottom of the first. He finished with one walk allowed and did not record an out.
South Carolina starter Brandon Stone did not quality for the decision either, lasting four innings with three earned runs allowed on six hits and one walk. He struck out three.
NOTABLES
* Play was halted at 7:11 p.m. in the bottom of the first inning due to weather, resulting in a delay of three hours and four minutes.
* Peterson’s start was washed out after five pitches and zero outs as a result.
* Florida has won 11 of its last 13 games overall and eight of 10 in SEC play.
* The Gators snapped a six-game losing streak at Founders Park to win their first road game vs. South Carolina since 2018.
* Florida posted its 14th comeback victory including its seventh in the last 13 games.
* Yost brought Florida within one run in the fourth with his second homer of the season.
* Heyman tied the game in the fifth with his 11th home run of the campaign.
* Evans cranked a 426-foot grand slam to center field for the game-winning RBI and his second homer of the season.
* Evans drove in a season-high four RBI as a result.
* Barlow pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit and fanning three batters.
* McDonald is now a perfect 4-0 on the year.
* Clemente locked down his sixth save of the season – all in Florida’s last 13 games – behind three shutout innings and six strikeouts.
* Boser’s 27-game on-base streak was snapped.
* Florida is now 55-56 all-time against South Carolina including 19-31 in Columbia.
* The Gators are 33-24 overall and 11-13 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 7,616.
UP NEXT
The Gators and Gamecocks meet in game two, which is now scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. on SEC Network+.
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