With the Gators down by two in the fourth inning, junior centerfielder Hayden Yost stepped up to the plate. He launched a high home run to tie the game in the fourth.
With the game now tied at five, sophomore right-handed pitcher and designated hitter Caden McDonald came to the plate in the fourth inning with one runner on. He promptly hit an opposite-field home run that put the Gators ahead by two.
Behind them, Florida (34-18, 15-12 SEC) defeated Kentucky Sunday afternoon (30-18, 12-15 SEC), 9-6, to clinch the series and take its home season finale. This marks Florida’s first series win at home since March 15 against South Carolina.
The Gators broke out in a big way offensively to start the game, getting three runs in the first inning.
It all started with a home run from sophomore shortstop Brendan Lawson. It was Lawson’s second home run of the series and his 13th of the season. Sophomore third baseman Ethan Surowiec and McDonald followed with a pair of singles, allowing senior catcher Karson Bowen to drive in a run with an RBI double.
Kentucky sophomore starting pitcher Nate Harris only got one out in the first inning before he was relieved by sophomore left-hander Leighton Harris. Immediately following his entrance, Harris allowed an RBI single off the bat of junior first baseman Landon Stripling that moved the score to 3-1. Kentucky burned through eight different pitchers in the loss.
Junior righty Russell Sandefer also had a rough start on the mound for Florida, going 3.2 innings and allowing five earned runs. In the first inning, he gave up one run on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Luke Lawrence, the senior’s sixth RBI of the series. Much like Peterson the night before, Sandefer cruised through the second and third innings, but faltered in the fourth.
Luke Lawrence opened the fourth by hitting a double for the Wildcats. Freshman right fielder Braxton Van Cleave drove him in with a single up the middle, and sophomore designated hitter Hudson Brown drew a walk to put two UK runners aboard. With Kentucky trailing by one, senior first baseman Will Marcy hit a three-run home run that put the Wildcats up 5-3.
That’s when McDonald replaced Sandefer. McDonald didn’t just hit a home run; he pitched 4.1 scoreless innings with six strikeouts and earned the win.
“It’s not easy to do at this level,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said.
In the seventh inning, Cade Kurland hit a single to left field. Cash Strayer continued his hot return from injury with a double, while Hayden Yost and senior outfielder Blake Cyr hit back-to-back sacrifice flies to make the score 9-5.
The Gators’ offense once again loaded the bases in the fifth inning for Lawson, but the sophomore couldn’t deliver like he did earlier in the game.
Freshman righty reliever Joshua Whritenour came in to close the ninth, but he didn’t have the best start to his outing. Sophomore designated hitter Hudson Brown hit a leadoff home run to make it 9-6 Florida.
After striking out twelve times Saturday night, the Gators only struck out twice Sunday. Both strikeouts were from Karson Bowen.
The Gators will play their final regular-season series of the year, starting May 14 against LSU in Baton Rouge at 7:30 p.m.
Contact Colton Veres at cveres@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @colton_veres.
