The Gators won all three games of a series by double digits for the first time since 2005.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Delivering the team’s second series sweep in as many weekends, No. 10 Florida mashed 12 hits to run-rule Dayton, 12-2, in eight innings at Condron Family Ballpark on Sunday afternoon.
The Gators have opened the season with a perfect 7-0 mark, posting double-digit victories in all three games of a weekend series for the first time since 2005. Florida has also won each of its last six while scoring 10-plus runs – the program’s first-such streak since the 2003 campaign.
The Orange & Blue once again received contributions up and down the lineup in the finale against the Flyers (2-5). Eight different players scored runs, seven logged hits and six recorded an RBI. Kyle Jones<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/kyle-jones/17345> (2-for-4), Colby Shelton<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/colby-shelton/17335> (2-for-4), Brendan Lawson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brendan-lawson/17350> (2-for-4), Ty Evans<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-evans/17325> (2-for-5) and Cade Kurland<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/cade-kurland/17328> (2-for-3) all chipped in multiple hits, with both of Kurland’s leaving the yard. The junior second baseman cranked a pair of two-run shots – the latter of which ended the ballgame – to finish with a team-high four RBI, followed by Evans with two driven in.
After fanning a career-high 12 batters in his first start, Sunday starter Pierce Coppola<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/pierce-coppola/17323> sat down the first two Flyers on strikes en route to a scoreless first inning. Florida threatened with a pair of baserunners in the second via singles from Jones and Bobby Boser<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/bobby-boser/17349> (bunt), but came up empty as Lawson flew out to the warning track in right-center field for the final out.
Coppola went right back to work, retiring the side in order again in the second and third while adding another three strikeouts. Dayton broke through in the fourth, using a leadoff triple by Michael DiMartini and subsequent sacrifice fly from Ryan Lujo to score the game’s opening run.
Florida roared to life in the bottom half of the fourth, responding with four runs to take a 4-1 lead. Lawson drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a clutch RBI single to right-center by Evans. Jones followed with a single to center for his first Gators RBI while Justin Nadeau<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/justin-nadeau/17342> raced home on a wild pitch. With two down and runners at the corners, Shelton laced a single to left to plate the inning’s fourth and final run.
Dayton quickly got one back, as Bobby Stang swatted a leadoff homer to right in the fifth. Evans and the Gators had another answer in store in bottom-five, beginning with a leadoff double to left from Lawson. Coming through with a runner in scoring position once again, Evans lined a single to center to score Lawson for a 5-2 edge.
The start of the sixth inning marked the end of the road for Coppola, who was replaced by right-hander Luke McNeillie<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-mcneillie/17330>. The sophomore stranded a pair of Flyers by notching two strikeouts to send the Gators back to the plate. Shelton rallied the squad with a two-out double down the right-field line and Lawson cashed in with and RBI single to right to push the lead to 6-2.
McNeillie worked another one-two-three frame in the seventh and the UF offense busted the game open with another four-spot in the bottom. Kurland uncorked a two-run bomb onto the left-field berm for his first homer of the year to get it going. Jones then came in to score on a throwing error at second base off the bat of Shelton and Brody Donay<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brody-donay/17324> knocked in Florida’s 10th run with an RBI groundout to third, plating Boser.
Holding a commanding 10-2 advantage entering the eighth, Aidan King<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/aidan-king/17366> assumed pitching duties and induced a 6-3 double play to produce a zero. The contest never reached the ninth, as Kurland smashed a two-out, two-run blast to left for his second of the day, pushing the score to 12-2 and ending the game via the run rule.
Coppola (2-0) won his third-straight start dating back to last season, pitching five innings of two-run ball on three hits, one walk and eight strikeouts. He is already up to 20 strikeouts on the season after fanning 12 in his season debut last Sunday.
Flyers reliever Ben Dean (0-1) received the loss, tossing two-thirds of an inning and surrendering three earned runs on four hits and one walk.
Dayton starter J.J. Gatti did not factor into the decision after allowing one earned run across three innings. He allowed two hits and four walks.
NOTABLES
* The Gators have won six-straight games while scoring 10-plus runs for the first time in 22 years – since Feb. 19-March 1, 2003.
* Florida’s first win of the season was a 7-0 shutout (thus not factoring into the streak).
* Florida swept a series with three run-rule wins for the first time in team history.
* The Gators beat their weekend opponent by double digits in all three games for the first time since 2005 vs. Michigan State.
* Florida’s seven-game winning streak overall is the team’s longest since winning eight in a row during the 2023 postseason from June 4-21.
* The Gators open the season with consecutive series sweeps for the first time since 2023.
* Florida’s 7-0 start has been fueled by four run-rule victories.
* The Gators’ 7-0 start is the team’s best since the 2020 campaign (16-0).
* The Gators have knocked at least nine hits in all seven games.
* Florida pitchers have produced a 95-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio through seven games.
* All 22 UF pitching appearances have featured at least one strikeout.
* The Gators have registered a strikeout in 53 of 57 innings.
* Through 57.0 innings, UF pitchers have allowed just nine earned runs on 33 hits and 13 walks on the year, equating to a 1.42 ERA and .166 batting average against.
* After stealing 43 bags last year, Florida has already swiped 25 bases (58.1%) in seven games.
* Kurland recorded his fourth-career multi-homer game with a pair of two-run long balls in the finale – his first two of the 2025 season.
* Kurland’s four RBI tied his career high (sixth time).
* With today’s eight-strikeout, one-walk performance, Coppola (2-0) has recorded 20 strikeouts to two walks in his first two starts of the season (10-to-1 K-to-BB ratio).
* Coppola has racked up 29 strikeouts across 15 innings while earning his first-three career wins in his last three outings dating back to the 2024 College World Series.
* Florida has drawn more walks (39) on the season than strikeouts (37) on top of 16 hit-by-pitches after striking out just twice today and walking 10 times.
* Florida improved to 3-0 in the team’s first-ever series against Dayton.
* The Gators are 40-0 all-time vs. the Atlantic 10 (34-0 vs. current A10 teams).
* UF is 15-0 (12-0) against the A10 under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/kevin-o-sullivan/1999>.
* Sunday’s official attendance was 5,425.
FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O’SULLIVAN
On his overall thoughts on the game…
“I thought Pierce was really good again. I thought he was really sharp. Really efficient early on. Obviously, the first run, it was a single probably turned into a triple and the other run he gave up, I thought he beat his bat. But, I thought he threw the ball great and then McNeillie came in was really good, and Aidan King<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/aidan-king/17366> was good. And we would have thrown Philpott out there in the ninth regardless, and he’ll definitely pitch on Tuesday. And then offensively once again, had a chance to get Kyle Jones<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/kyle-jones/17345> back in the lineup. Got a couple hits, had production up and down the lineup, didn’t make any errors. So overall it was a really good day. Sometimes Sundays can be a little difficult because you come out a little bit flat but I thought they had energy. The dugout was good. So all in all, it was a good weekend for us.”
On Sunday’s lineup changes…
“It was predetermined. So, obviously, Brody didn’t start, Cade didn’t start and Blake didn’t start. And it was predetermined that they were going to come in, because we knew they were going to go to a left-hander. So once they did, we just made the switch. They were made aware of it before the game.”
On how impressive Lawson has been out of the gate…
“Just his composure. The game never speeds up on him. He’s under control. He would probably have three or four home runs right now if the wind was a little bit more like it will be as the season goes on. I mean he handles left-handers, he handles, obviously, right-handers and he gives you good at bats. He’s got really good strike-zone management, but he’s been really impressive.”
UP NEXT
Florida travels to Stetson on Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. matchup on ESPN+ before hosting North Florida on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+.
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