Profanity was exchanged, tempers flared, and both dugouts were warned — Game 2 between Florida and Ole Miss had it all. Aidan King got the last laugh, fueling the Gators to a 2–0 victory to even the series behind seven shutout innings against the Rebels.
Florida improved to 24-8 (7-3 SEC) while Ole Miss dropped to 21-11 (4-7 SEC).
King entered the contest having allowed seven earned runs over his last 8.2 innings pitched and failed to make it past four innings in his previous start against Arkansas. This time, he was anything but shaky, cruising through the Ole Miss lineup while allowing four hits, no walks, and striking out eight.
Liam Peterson lasted just 3.2 innings on Thursday night, and with Florida set to face two-time All-American LHP Hunter Elliott in Game 2, King’s outing became critical to the Gators’ series outlook.
“It was the kind of performance we needed to have, honestly. Because I knew how good Hunter Elliott was,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said postgame.
The sophomore right-hander retired nine straight at one point and 15 of the final 17 batters he faced.
“He was outstanding,” O’Sullivan said on King. “He threw a bunch of fastballs early to both sides of the plate, started mixing in some changeups the second time through, then third time through he started mixing in the slider a little bit more. Just outstanding, and that’s what we needed.”
With King’s pitch count approaching 90, Ole Miss had the tying run at the plate with two outs in the seventh. King struck out Austin Fawley to end the inning, erupting in a flurry of emotions toward the Rebels’ dugout. Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco stormed out on two occasions, while the umpiring crew opted to issue only warnings.
“High energy all game. Bickering back and forth,” King said on the drama. “Tensions are going to get high so obviously I showed emotion, they showed emotion. I knew I was done so I just showed some emotion.”
Jackson Barberi and Joshua Whritenour closed out the final two innings, giving Florida its nation-leading seventh shutout of the season, four of which were started by Aidan King.
Florida’s bats produced just two runs on the night, but they worked Hunter Elliott’s pitch count to 102, knocking him out after four innings and forcing Ole Miss to rely on their bullpen early.
The rubber match is set for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. RHP Russell Sandefer (2-1, 4.24 ERA) will pitch for Florida, while RHP Cade Townsend (2-1, 1.90 ERA) takes the mound for Ole Miss.