The Florida Gators baseball team took an 8-6 lead into the top of the ninth inning and seemed to have secured the victory in its matchup against Kentucky.
However, the Wildcats fought back in the top of the ninth inning. Graduate student infielder Ryan Nicholson sent a three-run home run to right field to take the lead on the scoreboard and the air out of the home ballpark of the Gators.
The battle was far from over. UF had one last chance to send the game into extra innings, and senior third baseman Dale Thomas came through with a pinch-hit single to the right side to score senior utility man Tyler Shelnut from third to tie the game.
With momentum swinging back-and-forth, it was Kentucky that delivered the blow to eventually bind the difference in the tenth extra inning. Graduate student infielder Nick Lopez ripped a double down the right field line to plate a pair allowing UK to retake a 12-9 lead.
Junior two-way star Jac Caglianone and sophomore shortstop Colby Shelton responded with two solo home runs in the bottom half of the extra frame, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit.
Florida (25-24, 10-15 SEC) fell just short in an extra-inning thriller to Kentucky (36-10, 19-6 SEC) 12-11 at Condron Ballpark Friday.
Caglianone led the way for the Gators offensively with a 3-4 outing while tallying a team-high four runs. It has been an up-and-down season for Thomas, but he strung his strongest performance of the season with a 3-4 run and clutch hit in the bottom of the ninth to keep Florida’s hopes of victory alive.
Shelton followed with a promising performance as well with two hits, three RBI and a home run. Sophomore catcher Brody Donay has been heating up at the plate as of late and carried his momentum into Friday’s matchup with a pair of hits including a solo home run.
The Gators couldn’t find production from their leadoff and three-hole hitter. Sophomore Cade Kurland and junior Ty Evans combined to go just 1-11 without accounting for a run scored for Florida in the contest.
Redshirt sophomore left-handed reliever Pierce Coppola had a solid 2.2 innings in his start, and he allowed just one run on four hits while striking out three Wildcats.
Once Kentucky made UF use its bullpen, the Wildcats’ offense started clicking.
Junior right-handed reliever Brandon Neely has been a strong point for the Gators’ bullpen of late. However, Neely had far from his best stuff Friday. He allowed three hits runs which to award Kentucky a chance to extend the game into extras.
Freshman reliever Luke McNeillie followed up by allowing the three-run bomb in the top of the ninth inning. His efforts forced the Gators into extra innings before Kentucky closed out UF in the bottom of the tenth.
The Gators will look to redeem themselves against the Wildcats in Game 2 of the series, Saturday at 12 p.m. at Condron Family Ballpark. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
Contact Max Tucker at mtucker@alligator.org. Follow him on X @Max_Tuckr1.
Max Tucker is a junior transfer student at UF. After obtaining his A.A. in Journalism from Santa Fe College in 2023, he chose further his education at Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. Max is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Journalism with a specialization in sports and media. He enjoys golfing and going to the beach with his friends in his free time.
