With the Gators trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the ninth, it looked as if they would make a late-game comeback similar to the night prior. UF junior Hayden Yost stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs but couldn’t deliver.
Despite its ninth-inning surge, Florida (33-18, 14-12 SEC) fell to Kentucky (30-17, 12-14 SEC) Saturday night at Condron Family Ballpark, 4-2, behind a 12-strikeout complete game from UK starting pitcher Jaxon Jelkin.
Though UF struggled at the plate throughout, it began to rally in the final frame. Sophomore Ethan Surowiec knocked a bloop single into right field, and sophomore designated hitter Caden McDonald followed with a walk. Then, senior catcher Karson Bowen promptly hit a single to right field that loaded the bases for junior infielder Landon Stripling, who hit a sac fly that plated Florida’s second run.
Freshman outfielder Cash Strayer legged out an infield single to load the bases again with two outs, but Yost popped out to Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell to end the ninth.
Jelkin was the story of the game. He mowed down 12 Gators and tossed a complete game on 128 pitches while allowing just two runs. Jelkin struck out eight batters through the first four innings and allowed just two on base through six. Though he briefly faltered in the ninth, Florida wasn’t able to gather momentum until the final frames.
The Gators finally came alive offensively in the seventh inning when sophomore shortstop Brendan Lawson launched a home run to right, continuing his productive series.
Florida junior starting pitcher Liam Peterson had the longest outing of his career going 7.2 innings, but gave up four earned runs. He struck out seven Wildcats and kept the deficit manageable, but said he was disappointed with himself following the loss.
Most of the damage was done early as he gave up three straight hits and two runs in the first inning.
Junior outfielder Jayce Tharnish singled and sophomore infielder Tyler Bell doubled, leaving a pair of runners in scoring position for Luke Lawrence. It didn’t take long for the senior to drive a two-RBI single up the middle that put the Gators in a hole early.
Peterson settled in nicely, throwing consecutive scoreless innings in the second and third while striking out three batters.
However, Lawrence singled in the fourth and stole third base, allowing freshman Braxton Van Cleave to log an RBI fielder's choice.
In the fifth inning, Kentucky freshman Caeden Cloud hit a home run that just got over the wall in left field to make it 4-1.
Senior Ernesto Lugo Canchola relieved Peterson in the eighth and worked out of the inning with a strikeout. After Canchola surrendered a single in the top of the ninth, senior righty Ricky Reeth entered the game and escaped the inning unscathed.
Despite its solid pitching in the final four frames, Florida couldn’t deliver the ninth-inning heroics it needed, leaving the series to be decided in a rubber match Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Contact Colton Veres at cveres@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @colton_veres.
