No.23 Florida run-ruled South Carolina 13–3 after seven innings in Game 3 to complete the series sweep. The Gators improved to 18–3 (3–0 SEC) after their first SEC opening sweep since 2021.
After just four combined runs in the first two games, Florida’s bats exploded for 13 runs on 11 hits. The Gators opened the game with three runs in the first inning after Cash Strayer’s third sacrifice fly of the series and a two out, two RBI double from Colton Schwarz.
South Carolina tied the game in the top of the second on a three-run home run from Luke Yuhasz that landed in the middle of the batter’s eye in center field.
It didn’t take long for Florida to respond, adding another three-spot in the second inning behind a sacrifice fly from Kyle Jones and a two-run home run from Brendan Lawson, his team leading 10th of the season. The blast issued warnings to both teams after Lawson tossed his bat toward the pitcher while admiring his work.
Leading 7–3 in the bottom of the fourth, Cash Strayer put the game away with a grand slam to right field. Despite recording just one hit all weekend, Strayer finished the series with seven RBI, including five in Sunday’s game.
Ethan Surowiec added a two-RBI double in the fifth to put Florida in run-rule range.
Gators Sunday starter Cooper Walls had a unique outing as the home plate umpire took a foul tip to the mask two batters into the game. Appearing unsteady, Jason Millsap was removed after a roughly 15-minute delay.
Walls allowed a three-run homer in the second inning, but that was all in his 4.1 innings pitched. In total, he gave up three runs on seven hits with one walk while striking out five, earning the win to improve to 3-0 on the season.
“I thought he threw the ball good. They just put some good swings on the ball,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said on Walls outing. “After we scored three in the bottom of the second, the top of the third was really efficient, it was really good. And that’s what you need out of Sunday’s. You just need strikes, and I thought he threw the ball better.”
RHP Luke McNeillie stepped into a big spot in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and one out. The junior retired a batter on a pop out and another on a fly out to escape the inning. He finished the game by retiring all 10 batters he faced, including three strikeouts, capping an excellent weekend on the mound for Florida.
The Gators allowed just three runs in the series, posting back-to-back shutouts in Games 1 and 2 for the first time in conference play since 2013.
The only real concern from Game 3 was Florida’s defense, which has been an issue lately. The Gators committed three errors on Sunday, bringing their total to seven for the series and 24 for the year. It ultimately wasn’t a problem thanks to Florida’s excellent pitching this weekend, but it’s an area they’ll want to clean up moving forward.
“The big thing we got to continue to work on is our defense,” O’Sullivan said postgame. “It’s not from a lack of fundamentals, it’s not from a lack of reps. I don’t know if it’s just a lack of concentration at times. Maybe guys are taking their at bats out on defense, maybe they’re not thinking one pitch ahead. I’m not quite sure what it is.”
Florida hosts Stetson on Tuesday, March 17, before traveling to Tuscaloosa for a three-game series against Alabama starting Friday, March 20.