Florida led wire-to-wire in game one and walked it off in the nightcap.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida took down Jacksonville in a pair of six-inning exhibition games, 2-1 and 7-6, at 121 Financial Ballpark in Jacksonville on Friday night.
The Gators scored nine total runs on 10 hits across the two contests and did not commit an error in the field. Ty Evans<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-evans/16368> led the offensive charge for the Orange & Blue, finishing a combined 2-for-5 with one home run, one triple, two RBI and two runs scored.
On the mound, seven Gators pitched in the Orange & Blue for the first time highlighted by five who made their unofficial collegiate debuts. Florida held Jacksonville to seven runs in the twin bill, backed by 21 strikeouts against seven walks.
Game 1 | Florida 2, Jacksonville 1
Rising sophomore ace Liam Peterson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/liam-peterson/16631> drew the start for the first six innings of play, blanking the Dolphins in the top half of the first. Jacksonville native Aidan King followed with a scoreless second, giving way for the Gators to open the evening’s scoring.
Blake Cyr led off the second with a single to left, later coming in to score on a line drive to right off the bat of Brody Donay<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brody-donay/16621>. Landon Stripling then doubled to right to put a pair in scoring position, but JU starter Richard Long induced a strikeout and groundout to keep it to a 1-0 Florida lead.
Jake Clemente<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jake-clemente/16366> fired a clean frame in the third while southpaw Frank Menendez<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/frank-menendez/16627> fanned three in the fourth to keep the shutout intact. Florida extended its lead to 2-0 in the bottom half, as Evans tripled to right-center field and crossed home on a wild pitch.
Jacksonville broke through in the fifth to make it 2-1, plating its first run on an automatic double down the right-field line by Jonah Shields to plate Jackson Westmoreland. That marked the extent of the scoring for the Dolphins, as righty Luke McNeillie<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-mcneillie/16629> closed out the final 1 1/3 innings in scoreless fashion to collect the save.
King earned the win in his unofficial collegiate debut, tossing one no-hit inning with one walk and one strikeout. Peterson earned a no-decision after pitching one scoreless frame, allowing zero hits and one walk while picking up one strikeout.
Long was saddled with the loss, allowing two earned runs on four hits across four innings. He fanned one batter.
Evans (1-for-3), Cyr (1-for-2), Donay (1-for-2) and Stripling (1-for-1) accounted for Florida’s four knocks.
Game 2 | Florida 7, Jacksonville 6
Billy Barlow got the ball for the Gators in game two, working around a pair of baserunners while striking out three to keep the Dolphins in check.
Jacksonville struck first in the bottom of the second, as Conner Spelman led off with a double down the left-field line and scored on a fielder’s choice to second by Jacob Miller. The Dolphins made it 2-0 in the third on a solo homer down the right-field line from Chandler Howard.
Florida answered in the bottom of the third to tie it at 2-2, with Blake Brookins<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/blake-brookins/16620> drawing a one-out walk to set the table. Ashton Wilson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/ashton-wilson/16638> cashed in by delivering an RBI double down the left-field line, then came in to score on a dropped infield pop-up off the bat of Justin Nadeau to even things up.
The tally remained even through the top of the fourth thanks to a perfect inning from freshman McCall Biemiller, who struck out two. Florida took advantage and snagged the lead in the bottom half on a two-run home run to right field by Evans.
Jacksonville stormed back in the fifth for three runs to regain the edge. Jaden Bastain swatted a solo shot to straightaway left field to lead off, followed by a two-run double to left from Abdriel Delgado. Right-hander Alex Philpott<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/alex-philpott/16632> entered and utilized a strikeout to strand two additional runners in scoring position.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Florida tied it right back up. On a 2-1 offering, Wilson unloaded on a solo homer to right field for a 5-5 ballgame. The stalemate proved to be short-lived, as Trent Kelly connected for a solo homer to left field for a 6-5 Dolphins lead.
The Gators did not go quietly, rallying back for a 7-6 walk-off win. Florida put the first two runners of the sixth on base via a walk and hit-by-pitch of Shelton and Evans, who advanced on a groundout by Luke Heyman<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-heyman/16370>. Cyr tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center before Stripling came through with the heroics, lacing a walk-off single to right field to bring in Evans for the winning run.
Philpott picked up the victory. He allowed one earned run in 1 2/3 innings on two hits and one walk while striking out a team-high four batters.
Jacksonville reliever Aaron Zenis suffered the loss, giving up five earned runs on five hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings. He fanned two.
Barlow was handed a no-decision, surrendering one hit and one walk while striking out three over one inning.
Colby Shelton<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/colby-shelton/16639> (1-for-2), Boser (1-for-1), Evans (1-for-2) Wilson (2-for-2) and Stripling (1-for-1) registered hits in game two.
NOTABLES
* With the wins, Florida improved to 5-1 in fall exhibitions in Jacksonville since the tradition first started against Georgia in 2019.
* Tonight’s game marked the fourth-straight year of fall competition for the Gators in Jacksonville and the fifth in the last six falls (2019, 2021-24)
* Seven Gators threw scoreless outings highlighted by two freshmen in King and Biemieller.
* 11 UF pitchers recorded at least one strikeout while six logged multiple as the Gators tallied 21 strikeouts across 12 innings.
* Evans finished a combined 2-for-5 with one home run, one triple, two RBI and two runs scored.
* Stripling walked it off with a single to right field in game two.
* Wilson went 2-for-2 with one home run, one double, two RBI and two runs in game two.
FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O’SULLIVAN
On his takeaways from the exhibition action…
“I think the pitching was actually better than I thought it would be. There were probably only two guys that really struggled and that’s kind of what happens when you through 12 different pitchers, one every inning, but I thought they were competitive. I thought our swings were probably a little bit long to start the game but, overall, it was a good day and it’s good to see [Texas Tech transfer infielder Landon Stripling] get the game-winning hit (to win the second game in walk-off fashion).”
On the quality of the pitching staff…
“We have enough talent and I think over the course of the game, like I said, there were just a couple guys who struggled a little bit. But, overall, I thought it was a really productive night.”
UP NEXT
Florida hosts USF at Condron Family Ballpark on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 1 p.m.
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