Liam Peterson improve to 4-0 with five shutout frames and Colby Shelton (2-for-4) drove in a team-high four runs.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Eight Gators combined for 12 hits as Florida routed Harvard by a final score of 12-0 in seven innings at Condron Family Ballpark on Friday night.
Although Florida was held without a homer for the first time all season, the Gators (13-2) received contributions up and down the lineup behind five stellar innings from starting hurler Liam Peterson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/liam-peterson/17332>. The sophomore right-hander picked up his fourth win in as many starts this year, firing five shutout innings and tying his career high with 11 strikeouts against the Crimson (0-7).
All nine UF starters drove in runs or scored. Colby Shelton<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/colby-shelton/17335> (2-for-4), Brody Donay<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brody-donay/17324> (2-for-4), Blake Cyr<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/blake-cyr/17347> (2-for-3) and Luke Heyman<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-heyman/17327> (2-for-4) each chipped in multiple hits, with Shelton hitting his SEC-leading ninth double en route to a team-high four RBI.
Peterson got off to a strong start, fanning the side on 12 pitches in the top half of the first. The Gators took advantage by jumping out to a 1-0 lead through one, as Hayden Yost<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/hayden-yost/17337> drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a sac bunt by Bobby Boser<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/bobby-boser/17349> and scored on an RBI single to right-center from Shelton.
Gifted an early lead, Peterson struck out two more in the second to hold the Crimson scoreless. He ran into a bit of trouble in the third via a pair of infield singles by Jack Rickheim and Matt Giberti, but utilized back-to-back strikeouts to strand runners at the corners.
Florida extended its lead to 2-0 in the home half of the third, with Boser giving the Gators life via a one-out double into the right-center gap. With two outs, Donay flared a ball down the right-field line that fell just inside the chalk for a clutch, RBI double.
Repping eight strikeouts through three, Peterson collected another strikeout and utilized a 4-6-3 double play to produce a zero in the fourth.
In the bottom half of the fourth, Florida responded with a four-spot to create separation at 6-0. Landon Stripling<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/landon-stripling/17351> led off with a single to left, followed by a hit-by-pitch of Cyr and two-out walk of Yost. Boser was plunked to force home Stripling for the first run, followed by a bases-clearing double down the left-field line by Shelton to bust the game open.
After Peterson completed five scoreless innings, the Gators erupted for six runs in the home half to put the game out of reach. Brendan Lawson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brendan-lawson/17350> singled to right to lead off and Stripling drew a five-pitch walk. On the first pitch of his at bat, Cyr roped an RBI single to left to drive in Lawson. Following an infield single by Heyman, Ty Evans<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-evans/17325> doubled down the left-field line to plate a pair. Yost then drove in Heyman with a sac fly to right while Boser batted into a fielder’s choice to score Evans. Donay provided the frame’s final blow, tripling to right-center to bring home Boser for a 12-0 Gators advantage.
At the onset of the sixth, Peterson was lifted in favor of southpaw Niko Janssens<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/niko-janssens/17357>. The freshman quickly worked a clean frame, then came back out for a second inning in the seventh. Picking up his first strikeout of the night for out number one, Janssens retired the side in order to give the Gators the run-rule victory in seven.
Peterson improved to 4-0 on the season, blanking the Crimson over five innings of four-hit ball. He walked two and struck out 11.
Harvard starting pitcher Callan Fang (0-1) received the loss in his season debut, allowing two earned runs across 2 2/3 frames. He finished with four hits allowed, one walk and one strikeout.
NOTABLES
* The Gators tossed their second combined shutout of the season.
* Florida’s 13-2 start has been fueled by five run-rule victories.
* Peterson tied his career high with 11 strikeouts across five shutout innings to improve to a perfect 4-0 on the season.
* Through four starts, Peterson has a 0.86 ERA, .164 BAA and 34-to-6 K-to-BB ratio.
* Florida was held without a homer for the first time all season.
* Florida scored double-digit runs without homering for the first time since Feb. 21, 2024 vs. North Florida, when the Gators scored 13 runs on 11 hits without a long ball.
* Eight UF starters collected hits while all nine scored or drove in runs.
* Shelton drove in a season-high four RBI.
* Shelton hit his SEC-leading ninth double of the campaign.
* Cyr and Shelton have reached safely in all 15 games this season.
* Donay hit Florida’s first triple of the season in the fifth inning.
* Janssens pitched two perfect innings of relief in his fourth-career outing.
* Florida pitchers have produced a 181-to-43 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 15 games.
* The Gators have stolen 31 bases this season, equating to 72.1% of the team’s 2024 total (43).
* Florida is 7-0 all-time against Harvard, with all seven meetings in Gainesville.
* The Gators are 4-0 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 7,365.
FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O’SULLIVAN
On the team’s strikeout-to-walk ratio…
“That was a huge emphasis before the season started, was to cut down the walks and the deep counts. I thought Niko threw the ball good too, and he kept his pitch count down as well. If needed, we can use him again tomorrow.”
On Peterson’s maturity and approach this season…
“I think you see that with a lot of freshmen, regardless of how talented they are. That maturation process is difficult at times but he certainly has made a huge jump in that part of his game, and I think that’s the one thing that makes Aidan King<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/aidan-king/17366>, knock on wood, that’s what makes him so special. He’s just different as a freshman. But Liam certainly is on the right track.”
On Shelton’s approach at the plate…
“When he hit the ball down the left-field line again today, I was like he’s seeing the ball really good. I think that’s the biggest difference with his approach this year; he’s using the whole field. I still see teams shifting on him, and I know his spray chart does not look like that right now, so maybe they’ll stop shifting on him.”
UP NEXT
Florida and Harvard conclude the series on Saturday with a seven-inning doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. The series finale will begin roughly 45 minutes following the conclusion of Game 2.
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