Miami used 13 unanswered runs to even the series despite a career-high 14 strikeouts from starter Hurston Waldrep.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 6 Florida dropped game two against No. 22 Miami, 14-6, at Condron Family Ballpark on Saturday night.
Following a two-hour, 50-minute weather delay, Florida starter Hurston Waldrep<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/hurston-waldrep/15517> got right to work in the top of the first. The junior right-hander quickly struck out the side on 15 pitches to set the tone in the early going.
Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/15489> put the Gators (9-3) on the board in the bottom of the first. After a one-out walk by Langford, Caglianone connected for his ninth home run of the season top open a 2-0 lead.
Waldrep produced another zero in the second before the Canes (8-3) broke through in the third on a solo home run to left by Carlos Perez. The Gators righty settled right back in, blanking Miami in the fourth and fifth while increasing his strikeout total to an eye-popping 12 batters.
After three scoreless innings, the Florida bats extended the advantage in the fifth. Colby Halter<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/colby-halter/15495> got it started with an RBI triple, followed by a sacrifice fly to right by Wyatt Langford<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/wyatt-langford/15497>. Putting an exclamation point on the frame, Caglianone homered to straightaway center for his nation-leading 10th home run of the season to make it 6-1.
Miami answered in the half inning to follow, using a Blake Cyr two-run shot to center to draw within three runs. The Canes knotted it up with three more runs in the seventh, highlighted by RBI singles from Yohandy Morales and Cyr.
The Hurricanes grabbed hold of their first lead of the night with a four-run eighth. Renzo Gonzalez led off with a solo homer to right while Cyr drew a bases-loaded walk. Dominic Pitelli then drove in a pair with a double down the right-field line for a 10-6 Miami lead.
Miami tacked on four more runs in the ninth, highlighted by a three-run homer off the bat of Cyr to make it 14-6.
Hurricanes reliever Chris Scinta (1-0) picked up the win with one scoreless inning of relief. The southpaw walked one batter.
Fisher Jameson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/fisher-jameson/15496> dropped to 0-3, giving up three earned runs on three hits in one-third of an inning.
Waldrep (2-0) received a no decision, allowing five earned runs across six innings of work. He gave up seven hits and two walks, striking out a career-high 14 batters.
Miami starting pitcher Karson Ligon (2-0) was also left with the no-decision, surrendering six earned runs in six innings. The right-hander allowed four hits and two walks while striking out four.
NOTABLES
* Saturday’s start time was delayed two hours and 50 minutes.
* Florida welcomed a crowd of 7,853 fans on Saturday night.
* Waldrep set a new career high with 14 strikeouts.
* Waldrep has struck out a combined 27 batters over his previous two outings.
* He is the first Gators pitcher to strike out double-digit batters in back-to-back starts since another No. 12, Hunter Barco<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/hunter-barco/15091>, accomplished the feat vs. Liberty (Feb. 18, 2022 – 11) and Georgia State (Feb. 24, 2022 – 12) last season.
* Kurland extended his team-leading hitting streak to 10 games.
* The Gators have 150 hits through 12 games (12.5 hits/game).
* The Gators fall to 131-134-1 all-time vs. Miami including 78-51-1 at home.
* Florida is 38-17 in the series under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/kevin-o-sullivan/1551> featuring a 20-9 mark in home games.
* UF has won 19 of the last 26 meetings.
FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O’SULLIVAN
On Waldrep’s outing and him going out for the seventh…
“I thought he was outstanding. He was at 93 pitches. They had six plate appearances a piece, the top two guys, he struck them out five times in six plate appearances. We were trying to get through that. Obviously we used Cade [Fisher] last night. He hit a guy and got a ground ball in the three hole, but we still got a five-run lead. It’s very difficult to make decisions when your bullpen is the way it has been. I thought [Nick Ficarrotta<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-ficarrotta/15493>] came in and did a job and got two ground balls. After that it was just, I’m looking at his line, it says he gave up five earned runs the way he pitched. And we are getting to a point where [Brandon] Neely didn’t pitch last night. So, he certainly could have a multiple-inning save opportunity tonight, pitch the eight and ninth.”
On the bullpen…
“Really, all we need to get is three outs. We scattered the ball, the ball wasn’t coming out of our hands quite like it normally does. The bottom line is we got to figure it out. We need somebody to bridge the gap because our starting pitching is really good and we got a guy at the end. The bottom line is three outs. Honestly, I feel bad for Hurston, to be quite honest with you. If he hadn’t had the success like he did with the leadoff hitter and [CJ] Kayfus, I wouldn’t have ran him back out there. It’s hard to make decisions when your bullpen is a little bit inconsistent.”
On the pitching…
“[Fisher Jameson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/fisher-jameson/15496>] gave up the home run for them to take the lead, but at least he was throwing the ball across the plate. He wasn’t walking people. You can live with that, but to not empty the tank and attack the strike zone for really just a few outs is disappointing.”
UP NEXT
Florida and Miami meet in the series finale on Sunday at 12 p.m. on SEC Network.
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