Florida improved to 8-1 on the season after defeating Jacksonville 18-8 on Tuesday night. The Gators set season highs in runs (18) and hits (17) during the contest.
It was a slow start for both teams at the plate as Florida led 1-0 after three innings. From the fourth inning and beyond, the Gators scored in every frame.
Ryan Slater made his first start of the 2023 campaign, completing four innings and allowing one run on three hits while striking out four batters. Perhaps most importantly, Slater didn’t give out any free passes, posting zero walks and hit by pitches in the contest. It’s unclear what coach Sullivan’s plans are for the midweek games throughout the rest of the season, but the Gators could sure use Slater’s arm in their bullpen on the weekends.
The fifth inning was full of action on Tuesday night as both Florida and Jacksonville sent eight batters to the plate, scoring five runs in the process.
Freshman Cade Kurland blasted his fourth home run and first grand slam of the season, driving home the last four runs of the inning for the Gators. Kurland finished the day 2-6 at the plate with four RBIs and four runs scored.
The Dolphins scored their five runs off the arm of Nick Ficarrotta, who took over for Slater in the bottom of the fifth. Ficarrotta allowed two long balls of the bats of Cam Ridley and former Gator Kris Armstrong. The Palm Harbor native finished the day completing two innings and allowing four earned runs on four hits while striking out three batters.
The Gators found more insurance runs off the bats of Wyatt Langford and Jac Caglianone, who both homered in the contest.
Langford entered the day holding an on base percentage of .550, and reached on five of his six plate appearances tonight, batting 4-5 at the dish with two RBIs, two runs, and a walk.
Caglianone entered the game tied for first in the country in home runs before adding another one on Tuesday night (7). Caglianone went 3-6 at the plate with an RBI, a double, and two runs scored.
Catcher Luke Heyman went 3-6 at the plate tonight with an RBI, two runs, and a triple, the 2nd of the season for the freshman. Heyman has serious pop in his bat and is a deadly weapon at the plate and behind it as well.
Fisher Jameson took over in the 7th inning for the Gators, and like Ficarrotta, struggled to get batters out. Jameson threw one inning and allowed two runs on three hits while striking out two batters.
LHP Philip Abner closed the game out for the Gators, pitching the last two innings and allowing no runs on two hits while striking out all six batters he retired.
Command was on point for Florida as the Gators didn’t walk any batters against Jacksonville and only allowed one HBP off the arm of Ficarrotta. However, Florida’s pitching staff allowed 12 hits and 8 runs, giving up three home runs in the game.
The performances from Slater and Abner were intriguing, while Fisher and Ficarrotta struggled to retire batters with a comfortable lead.
Florida took advantage of Jacksonville’s seven errors in the game, four of them coming off the hands of former Gator Kris Armstrong, who played 3rd base in the contest.
The Gators return to Gainesville tomorrow to take on Jacksonville inside Family Condron Ballpark at 6:00 P.M.