Florida Hammers No. 9 Georgia to Take Series, Awaits SEC Tournament Opponent - Florida Gators (2024)

John Paternoster

• Box Score

Game Recap: Baseball | Saturday, May 18, 2024 | Sullivan Bortner

ATHENS, Ga. –Florida used a 12-run fourth inning and season-high 19 runs to win the series over No. 9 Georgia with a wild, 19-11 victory at Foley Field on Saturday afternoon.

With the win, the Gators finish the regular season at 28-26 and 13-17 in Southeastern Conference play. They await their Tuesday opponent in the opening round of the SEC Tournament with games still ongoing around the league.

The Orange & Blue trailed by three runs after three innings, but exploded for 12 runs in the top of the fourth and never looked back en route to a season-high 19 runs. The onslaught marked the program's highest-scoring inning since 2002 and the largest of the Kevin O'Sullivan era.

Jac Caglianone (1-for-5) and Cade Kurland (2-for-4) popped homers in the frame while Luke Heyman drove in four runs highlighted by a bases-clearing double. Kurland would later smash a second home run in the ninth for his second-career multi-homer game. Two Gators had multiple hits in the record fourth in Ashton Wilson (single, two-run double) and Tyler Shelnut (double, two-run double), who finished 2-for-5 and 3-for-5, respectively. In all, Florida hit for the cycle as a team while combining for seven extra-base hits.

The Bulldogs (39-14, 17-13 SEC) struck first in game three, putting one run on the Gators in the bottom of the first on an RBI groundout to second base by Tre Phelps. Georgia created traffic again in the second, with Charlie Condon cashing in on a two-out, two-run single through the left side to make it 3-0.

UF right-hander Fisher Jameson inherited a one-out, two-runner jam in the third. After recording a strikeout and a walk, Jameson stranded the bases loaded by inducing a foul-out to first base from Kolby Branch.

Florida stormed back into the ballgame in the top of the fourth, erupting for 12 runs to take a commanding 12-3 advantage. Caglianone started it with a two-run homer to right, while Heyman followed with an RBI groundout to shortstop and Kurland popped a solo shot to right field. Michael Robertson then singled home Shelnut and Wilson picked up his second hit of the inning with a two-run double to left-center. Heyman and Shelnut put an exclamation point on the outburst with a pair of two-run doubles.

Jameson retired the side in order in the bottom half of the fourth to hold the momentum, picking up his third strikeout in the process. The right-hander stranded two Bulldogs in the fifth and went one-two-three in the sixth to take Florida's nine-run lead through six frames.

In the top of the seventh, the Gators offense went back to work with a pair of runs to push their lead to 14-3. Shelnut picked up his third hit of the day with a leadoff single to left, then advanced to second on a walk from Brody Donay. After Dale Thomas advanced the runners with a textbook bunt down the third-base line, Robertson drove in two runs with a single back up the middle.

Florida ran into some trouble in the bottom of the seventh, as the Bulldogs avoided the 10-run rule by plating three runs to cut the UF lead to 14-6. Clayton Chadwick doubled to left-center to bring home Dylan Goldstein while Slate Alford scored on a fielding error at second base off the bat of Sebastian Murrilo. Kolby Branch produced the third run with an RBI single to right field.

The Gators got two runs right back in the eighth to regain a double-digit advantage at 16-6. Shelnut was plunked with the bases loaded to force home Shelton while Donay drove home Heyman on an RBI groundout to third base.

Florida's second bid at putting Georgia away early came up short, as Condon led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run to center field. Two batters later, Alford swatted a solo homer to right and Dillon Carter later singled in Chadwick. From there, Fernando Gonzalez doubled to center to plate a pair for a 16-11 ballgame. With two outs and a man on second, Cade Fisher took over on the mound and induced a groundout of Corey Collins to second base to end the five-run frame.

In need of some insurance after Georgia's big inning, Florida got just that from Kurland in the top of the ninth. With two outs and two on, Kurland launched his second homer of the game – again an opposite-field shot to right to extend the Gators' lead to 19-11.

Fisher slammed the door, retiring Condon on a flyout to right field and forcing a game-ending, 5-4-3 double play to cement the series-clinching victory for Florida.

Jameson improved to 4-0 after throwing 3 2/3 frames with three runs allowed (two earned) on five hits and one walk. He fanned five Bulldogs.

UGA starter Zach Harris (5-1) was saddled with his first loss of the campaign after surrendering four earned runs across 3 1/3 innings. The right-hander was charged with four hits allowed and struck out two.

Caglianone was handed a no-decision in his final regular-season start. The southpaw tossed 2 1/3 frames with three earned runs allowed on three hits and four walks. He fanned two batters.

NOTABLES

• Florida scored its most runs (12) in a single inning of the Kevin O'Sullivan era (2008-present) in the fourth inning of game three.
  • Florida scored its most runs in one inning since Feb. 27, 2002 vs. Siena (15) in what was a 31-3 drubbing by the Gators.
    • The all-time program record is 18 runs, set in 1965 vs. Kentucky and 2001 vs. Savannah State.
  • Two Gators had multiple hits in the frame: Wilson (single, two-run double) and Shelnut (double, two-run double.
  • Heyman drove in four runs in the inning.
  • The Gators combined for seven extra-base hits in the fourth.
  • Florida also hit for the cycle as a team.
• The Gators scored a season-high 19 runs – the team's most since defeating LSU, 24-2, in game two of the College World Series Finals on June 25, 2023.
• Florida has now won 18 of the last 30 meetings vs. Georgia including wins in eight of ten series.
• Florida produced its 15th come-from-behind win of the season including the team's 12th in SEC play.
• Florida's scoring streak of 133-consecutive games is the third-longest in program history (May 27, 2022-present).
• Kurland registered his second-career two-homer game (April 22, 2023 at South Carolina).
  • Kurland's four RBI tied his career high (five times).
• Caglianone extended his on-base streak to 40-straight contests.
  • Caglianone has hit safely in 51 of 54 games while reaching safely in all but one contest.
• Shelnut collected his third three-hit game of the season.
• Wilson recorded his first multi-hit performance as a Gator.
• Heyman drove in four runs for the second time this season.
• Robertson posted his third three-RBI game.
• Across the team's last 83 tilts against SEC teams, Florida is 50-33.
  • That includes a 42-30 regular-season mark.
• Florida is now 195-116-2 all-time vs. Georgia including an 88-65 mark in Athens.
  • The Gators are 32-18 against the Bulldogs under head coach Kevin O'Sullivan (13-11 away).
• Saturday's official attendance was 3,954.

UP NEXT
Florida awaits its fate in the 2024 SEC Baseball Tournament in Hoover, Ala., which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 21.