The name of the game for pitchers is throwing strikes. Florida’s seven arms on Thursday night struggled to do that, as they surrendered a combined season-high 13 walks. This lackluster pitching performance led to UF dropping its seventh-straight SEC game to open conference play.
The Gators (18-10, 0-7 SEC) fell to the No. 15 Ole Miss Rebels (20-5, 5-2 SEC) at Swayze Field 7-5 in a marathon game that lasted over three and a half hours.
True freshman right-hander Aidan King started for Florida and struggled with command, surrendering four walks in just 3 1/3 innings. King gave up three runs on four hits and struck out five.
The first two runs he allowed came in the opening frame, in which Ole Miss sent eight batters to the plate. King granted two free passes and two base hits in the inning, but struck out a pair to limit the damage.
UF sophomore righty Luke McNeillie entered in the fourth inning out of the bullpen. He got out of the frame scoreless, but didn’t fare as well in the ensuing inning. McNeillie got just one out in the fifth, as he walked three and allowed three runs, including a two-run double to Rebels junior first baseman Will Furniss.
The pitching struggles continued for UF after McNeillie was pulled. Redshirt freshmen righties Caden McDonald and Christian Rodriguez recorded just four combined outs and conceded four free passes.
Florida didn’t allow any runs in the seventh or eighth innings. Freshman right-hander Carson Montsdeoca tossed one scoreless frame with a pair of strikeouts, and redshirt junior righty Billy Barlow threw the final 1 1/3 innings.
Florida was stifled in the first two innings at the plate, but had a powerful third to draw in closer to the Rebels. Junior catcher Luke Heyman led off the frame with a single, which was followed by first baseman Landon Stripling being hit by a pitch. Then, nine-hole hitter and junior center fielder Ashton Wilson blasted out his first home run of the year, a three-run shot that gave UF the lead at the time.
After stranding leadoff doubles in the fifth and sixth innings, Florida found the scoreboard again in the seventh. With the bases loaded, senior third baseman Bobby Boser lined a single to left field that scored two runs. Boser finished the night 2-for-5 at the dish.
Florida was unable to muster anything in the eighth or ninth innings and went down quietly in the final frame against flamethrowing junior righty Brayden Jones. The standout Ole Miss closer tossed a one-two-three inning with a pair of punchouts.
The Gators’ bats put up a 10 in the hit column, including multi-hit games from Boser, Heyman, junior shortstop Colby Shelton and junior designated hitter Brody Donay. One of Shelton’s hits was his SEC-leading 14th double of the year. However, Florida also left five runners on base and struck out 13 times.
UF will try to avoid its third-straight series loss on Friday as the Gators and Rebels will play a doubleheader in Oxford to end the three-game set. First pitch in game one of the twin bill is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET, with game two beginning approximately 45 minutes following the conclusion of the first.
Contact Hugh Green at hgreen@alligator.org. Follow him on X @HGreen_15.
Hugh is the Spring 2025 baseball beat reporter for The Alligator. He is a fourth-year journalism sports and media major. In his free time, Hugh enjoys watching all kinds of sports with his friends.
