UF starting hurler Liam Peterson fired a career-high 7.0 innings of one-run ball in a no-decision.
ATHENS, Ga. – Florida engaged in a pitchers’ duel with No. 4 Georgia for seven-plus innings but was ultimately outlasted by a 5-1 tally in game two at Foley Field on Saturday afternoon.
Both teams were held to one run apiece through seven frames, but the Bulldogs (29-7, 11-3 SEC) moved in front of the Gators (26-10, 8-6 SEC) with a four-run eighth inning to even the series. UF starting pitcher Liam Peterson was fantastic across a career-high seven frames, limiting Georgia to just one run while striking out four batters without issuing a walk.
After the top of the UF order went down in order in the first, Georgia opened the scoring in the home half to take a 1-0 lead. Tre Phelps led off with a triple down the left-field line and scored four pitches later on an RBI groundout to second base by Daniel Jackson.
Rebounding for a zero in the second inning, Peterson stranded a leadoff single on first base while picking up his second strikeout. That allowed the Gators to draw even in the top of the third, beginning with a leadoff walk by Jacob Kendall. After advancing to second base on a chopper back to the pitcher from Kolt Myers and a two-out, four-pitch walk to Brendan Lawson, Ethan Surowiec came through with a clutch RBI single to center to knot the contest at one run apiece.
Peterson held the score in the home half of the third, navigating around a two-out single by Rylan Lujo to send a 1-1 matchup into the fourth. The junior hurler pitched around a leadoff single to blank the Bulldogs in bottom-four, culminating with a strikeout of Kolby Branch. Peterson produced a fourth-straight zero in the fifth, retiring the side in order on 12 pitches while notching his fourth strikeout to end the frame.
UGA starter Dylan Vigue matched Peterson with just one run allowed through six innings, as Karson Bowen was left stranded on second base after a one-out single in the top of the sixth. Peterson surrendered back-to-back singles to open the home half of the frame, but induced a 5-4-3 double play ball on the first pitch to Henry Allen before getting Brennan Hudson to fly out to left to strand a pair.
The top of the seventh marked the end of Vigue’s outing, but Peterson cruised through the inning to complete seven frames for the first time in his career. The right-hander gave up a leadoff double but bounced back for three quick outs on nine pitches.
Sitting at 97 pitches, Peterson was replaced by reliever Cooper Walls on the mound in the bottom of the eighth. The Bulldogs pounced upon Peterson’s removal, as Jackson doubled and Lujo was hit by a pitch, followed by a go-ahead single to right field by Jordy Oriach. That prompted a second UF pitching change, but Georgia added on via an RBI single to left from Allen and a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Hudson. Ryan Black later raced home on a two-out wild pitch to pinch-hitter Jack Arcamone to push the score to 5-1 through eight innings.
Walls (3-2) was dealt with the loss, as he failed to record an out and was charged with three earned runs on two hits and one hit batter. Georgia relief pitcher Caden Aoki (4-0) earned the victory behind three shutout, one-hit innings. He walked one and struck out five.
Despite delivering one of the finest starts of his collegiate tenure, Peterson received a no-decision. He surrendered a lone run in the first frame across a career-high seven innings of work, scattering eight hits while fanning four batters against zero free passes.
Vigue was also left with a no-decision, pitching six innings with one earned run allowed on two hits and three walks. He struck out seven.
NOTABLES
* The Gators had starting pitchers go 7.0-plus innings in back-to-back starts in consecutive weekends (Aidan King and Peterson at Georgia, King and Russell Sandefer vs. Ole Miss) after going nearly three years without accomplishing the feat prior to last weekend (2023 NCAA Gainesville Regional, Hurston Waldrep & Cade Fisher).
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Florida starting pitchers have now gone at least 7.0 innings in four-straight weekend starts (four-consecutive quality starts).
* The Gators dropped their first game of the season to a ranked opponent, dropping to 9-1.
* Florida is 6-1 vs. top-10 foes and 5-1 against the top-five.
* The Gators have won eight of their last 10 SEC series, going 22-10 across their last 32 SEC games dating back to last season.
* Florida has won five of its last six road games and six of seven playing away from home (road or neutral).
* Lawson returned to the starting lineup at designated hitter after a four-game absence.
* Recording an out in the seventh inning for the first time in his career, Peterson pitched a career-high 7.0 innings of one-run ball and did not issue a walk while striking out four.
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Peterson threw 68 of his 97 pitches for strikes (70.1%) en route to his second quality start of the season.
* Peterson’s career performance lowered his season ERA to 3.60.
* Lawson stole his ninth base of the season in the eighth inning.
* Florida starting pitchers have now allowed just two home runs in 151.0 innings pitched.
* Florida has won 43 of its last 58 regular-season games dating back to 2025.
* The Gators are now 196-120-2 all-time and 89-66-1 in Athens against Georgia.
* Florida is 33-22 overall including 14-12 on the road vs. the Bulldogs under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan.
* Saturday’s official attendance was a sellout crowd of 3,633 fans.
FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O’SULLIVAN
On Peterson settling in to produce a quality start…
“He did everything he possibly could to help us win the game today. That’s two outstanding starts in a row and I expect Russ to go out there tomorrow and give us the same effort. The great thing about Russ is he’s got energy and he’ll bring the energy tomorrow, and we got a chance to win the series.”
On what adjustments the offense needs to make…
“The bottom line is they’re spinning the ball. Over and over and over. We’re fouling balls into the third-base dugout. We’re not staying in the middle of the field. When you’re seeing spin like that as much as we’re seeing it and you’re pulling balls foul, obviously you’re not staying in the middle of the field and we’ve talked about that. Their starter did a nice job. Coming in, I think had 14 walks with 16 innings in SEC play and today he walked three, but obviously none of them hurt because we couldn’t string any hits together.”
ON DECK
The Gators and Bulldogs face off one last time in the series finale on Sunday, scheduled for 12 p.m. on SEC Network.
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