No. 6 Gators Battle Back to Claim Game One Over No. 22 Miami - Florida Gators (2024)

• Box Score

Game Recap: Baseball | Friday, March 3, 2023 | Sullivan Bortner

GAINESVILLE, Fla. –No. 6 Florida stormed back from an early three-run deficit to take game one against No. 22 Miami by a score of 10-4 in front of 8,081 fans at Condron Family Ballpark on Friday night.

Nine Gators collected hits in the victory, led by Wyatt Langford's three-hit, two-homer night – the sixth multi-homer game of his career. The Trenton, Fla. native finished 3-for-5 with a team-high three RBI and three runs scored.

The Hurricanes (7-3) jumped on the Gators (9-2) in the top of the first, with Yohandy Morales connecting for a three-run home run to left-center field. Langford quickly got one run back in the bottom half, using his fourth big fly of the year to make it a 3-1 ballgame.

Gators starter Brandon Sproat settled in after the opening frame, blanking the Canes in the second and third while increasing his strikeout total to five. Those zeros allowed the Gators to knot up the game in the bottom of the third thanks to a pair of two-out, RBI singles by BT Riopelle and Ty Evans.

The Orange & Blue grabbed hold of their first lead of the night in the fourth. With a full count and two outs, Langford delivered an RBI double down the left-field line to put the Gators in front. Jac Caglianone then singled to center to plate Langford, making it 5-3 in favor of Florida.

Miami responded with a lone run in the sixth, with Dominic Pitelli driving in Blake Cyr on a sacrifice fly to center. Florida answered right back in the bottom half, scoring three on a pinch-hit, two-run homer by Richie Schiekofer and a solo shot to right by Langford – his second of the night.

Cade Kurland provided the Gators with some insurance in the bottom of the eighth. After a leadoff single by Colby Halter, Kurland unloaded on a two-run shot to left field for his fifth homer of the year. That brought the score to its final tally of 10-4.

Sproat (3-0) earned the victory, picking up the quality start with four runs (three earned) allowed across six innings of work. He scattered four hits and four walks while striking out nine.

Freshman Cade Fisher picked up the first save of his young career, shutting down the Canes across the final three frames. The southpaw did not allow a baserunner and struck out one batter.

Miami starting pitcher Gage Ziehl (1-2) suffered the loss, allowing six earned runs over five frames. He surrendered nine hits and three walks while striking out eight.

Kurland (2-for-5), Langford (3-for-5), Caglianone (2-for-5) and Riopelle (2-for-4) logged multiple knocks in the win.

NOTABLES

• Florida welcomed a crowd of 8,081 fans on Friday night, marking the second-largest crowd in Condron Family Ballpark history.
  • The 1,970 students in attendance marked a new program record.
• Langford notched his first multi-homer game of the season including the sixth of his career.
• Schiekofer hit his first home run as a Gator.
• Florida held Miami to a season-low four hits, including just one after the first inning.
• Dating back to April 29 of last season when he took over the Friday night role vs. Kentucky, Sproat has made nine starts and is 8-0 with a 2.56 ERA, 58 strikeouts and 20 walks across 56 1/3 innings - and Florida is 9-0.
  • Sproat has pitched at least five innings with three earned runs or fewer in every outing.
• Kurland extended his team-leading hitting streak to nine games, while Josh Rivera's eight-game streak was snapped.
• Florida's run differential of plus-73 is the team's best through 11 games since the 2003 season.
• The Gators have scored in 57 of 89 batted innings this season (64.0%).
• Florida has scored in five or more innings in nine of 11 games.
• For the 10th time in 11 games this year, the Gators recorded double-digit hits.
  • Florida has posted nine or more hits in every game this season.
• The Gators have 143 hits through 11 games (13.0 hits/game).
• The Gators improve to 131-133-1 all-time vs. Miami including 78-50-1 at home.
  • Florida is 38-16 in the series under Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan featuring a 20-8 mark in home games.
  • UF has won 19 of the last 25 meetings.

FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O'SULLIVAN
On the response after the three-run first…
"Brandon [Sproat] was able to flip the switch immediately. I said in the post-game on the radio, that his level of maturity is just so much different than it was a year ago. But I also say that our team, when they came off the field in the bottom of the first, they had a lot of energy. I think Josh [Rivera] was kind of the leading charge of that. They never lost focus. They believed that they had a chance to come back and fight their way back through it. Brandon made a couple big pitches, obviously, on the bases loaded, threw a right on right changeup. But he changed his whole approach on how to pitch tonight and obviously did a really nice job after the first."

On Fisher's performance…
"It doesn't get much better than that. 30 pitches over three so [Fisher] kept his pitch count down, so he'd still be available to go tomorrow if we need him for an inning. I've been bragging about him. Everybody's heard me talk about how mature he is and how level he stays and how calm. The game never gets away from him. His delivery stays consistent. Throws a ton of strikes in the bottom half of the zone. His fastball tonight was about as good as I've seen it. I think it was up to 94. He was really special tonight."

On the Hurricanes…
"To be quite honest, I think they're better than the 22^nd-ranked team in the country, to be quite honest with you. They got two really good pitchers left to start tomorrow and Sunday. They got one of the best closers in the country. They got a really good lineup. Tomorrow's a different ball game. They're arguably throwing their best guy. Statistically, his numbers are great. Obviously, I'm really looking forward to watching Hurston [Waldrep] and him match up tomorrow. That will be a fun game to watch."

UP NEXT
Florida and Miami face off again on Saturday at 2 p.m. on SEC Network+.