Gators’ Pitching Struggles Surface Again in Bethune-Cookman Loss
Florida freshman left-handed pitcher Jackson Hoyt took a different path to the rubber Tuesday against Bethune-Cookman (26-11, 12-3 SWAC).
Instead of the long walk from the bullpen in right field at Condron Family Ballpark, Hoyt emerged from the dugout as Florida’s starting pitcher for the first time. For a player who had logged just six innings across six different appearances throughout the season— with a 12.00 ERA — the moment carried weight for Hoyt and Florida (27-11, 9-6 SEC).
Hoyt opened confidently, striking out the leadoff batter looking, but the momentum quickly shifted in Tuesday’s 13-7 loss.
Bethune-Cookman third baseman Andrey Martinez followed with his fifth home run, a swing that not only opened the scoring in the first inning but rattled the freshman. Over the first two innings, Hoyt hit three batters, struck out two and allowed three earned runs.
From there, Florida’s pitching struggles only deepened.
Senior right-hander Billy Barlow, making his 11th appearance of the season, struggled to find the strike zone, throwing 11 balls and 11 strikes. The inconsistency set the tone for a staff that never fully recovered in a microcosm of the 2026 season.
After using six relievers in the series win against Georgia — and with a series against Auburn looming Thursday — coach Kevin O’Sullivan turned to arms lacking deep SEC action. With star reliever Jackson Barberi sidelined 3-4 weeks due to an oblique injury, the opportunity was there for others to step into larger roles — and the results facing unranked opponents followed a similar theme.
“We just got to hold this thing together until we get Barbs (Barberi) back, once we get Barbs back we will be at full strength,” O’Sullivan said. “Then I feel like our pitching will be right back where it needs to be.”
No moment defined the night more than the seventh inning.
Tied at five after Florida clawed its way back behind run-scoring hits from Blake Cyr and Cade Kurland in the sixth, what followed put the game far out of reach for the Gators. Bethune-Cookman sent 11 batters to the plate in a 31-minute inning, scoring seven runs before Florida could record two outs.
Right-hander Cooper Walls, whose role has steadily decreased this season due to struggles, was called upon in the inning. For the second straight appearance, he failed to pitch a complete inning, allowing four runs — three earned — on just nine pitches. Walls took his place along the dugout, head down, hat in hand – biting his nails.
Defensively, Bethune-Cookman made the key plays to keep Florida’s offense at bay, and ensuing celebrations after timely outs sent a message to the Gators dugout. Second baseman Jeter Polledo made an over-the-shoulder catch with the bases loaded and two outs, while shortstop Erick Almonte kept Cyr from reaching home with his own backwards catch.
On the mound, right-hander Anthony Anselmo provided stability after entering in the second inning. He stranded 11 Florida runners and helped the Wildcats pitching staff generate 18 fly-ball outs throughout the game.
“Success is found through the middle of the field, staying through there,” Gators shortstop Brendan Lawson said. “Hitting is hard, sometimes pitchers are going to throw a good game and even if you’re sticking to your approach, that’s just how it goes sometimes.”
Despite adding a few late runs, the damage had already been done.
The loss drops Florida’s all-time record against Bethune-Cookman to 37-2, including a 17-2 mark under O’Sullivan.
“Some guys could have pitched a little bit better and pushed themselves into more of a role on the weekend, but maybe they’re just not ready for that just yet,” O’Sullivan said.
The Gators won’t have to wait long for a response and return to Condron Family Ballpark Thursday to open the series against No. 13 Auburn at 7 p.m. on SEC Network (Radio coverage begins at 6:55 p.m. on 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF).
Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Baseball
