The pitching all fell apart in what was the worst inning Florida baseball has played this season. The Troy Trojans scored nine runs in the sixth inning, embarrassing the Gators at Condron Family Ballpark in a 16-11 victory and forcing a winner-take-all matchup on Monday.
The sixth inning turned into a story that felt like it would never end for Florida and its fans. The Trojans touched home courtesy of every way imaginable in the game of baseball. Singles, walks, hit-by-pitches and a grand slam by Jabe Boroff that left the ballpark and capped the nine-run extravaganza for the Trojans. Troy’s 16 runs set a program record for the most against an SEC team.
“We just need a couple guys to step up,” UF coach O’Sullivan said. “Just like the sixth inning, somebody’s gotta step up. Giving up consecutive hit after hit after hit. We Couldn’t do much, it was like an avalanche. One mistake after another.”
Projected first-round pick Liam Peterson took the mound for Florida with years of experience under his belt. Throughout the season, Peterson has mentioned the work he put in in order to improve his mental approach amid his struggles to leave the past in the past. In Sunday’s matchup, Troy tested Peterson to his limits. In five innings of work, the Trojans managed four home runs off of Peterson, scoring seven runs. Nobody took more trots around the bags for the Trojans than catcher Jimmy Janicki who took Peterson deep twice.
After throwing 104 pitches, giving up 10 hits, 9 earned runs and leaving the bases loaded with no outs, Peterson slowly walked to the dugout to a cheerful applause from the Florida faithful. Still, his head was down – disappointed as he continues to battle himself and the other team’s hitters.
“Trying to manage the bullpen today was extremely difficult,” O’Sullivan said. “Obviously we were chasing runs the entire game.”
After setting a program record with five home runs in the eighth inning of Saturday’s win against Miami, the Gators were more than willing to turn the game into a home run derby. Answering back on multiple occasions Brendan Lawson and Caden McDonald went deep to keep the game in reach for the Gators. Nearly every time the Trojans tacked on runs, Florida would bounce back, as they had done all weekend against opposition.
Florida’s struggles stemmed from failing to score runners who managed to get on base, and no Gators player has managed to put their body on the line to do so more than second baseman Cade Kurland. In the sixth inning, Kurland was hit by a pitch, giving him the hit-by-pitch all-time record, taking his base 52 times throughout his Florida career. Kurland passed former Gator Matt Laporta who played from (2004-2007).
Kurland continued his hot streak in the eighth inning, hitting a grand slam and his fourth home run of the weekend, cutting the lead to seven. Caden McDonald continued the home run derby in the ninth, with a two-run shot, hitting home runs in back-to-back at-bats and cutting into the Trojan lead. In the end, the mountain would prove too steep to climb.
“The message was to shake it off,” Lawson said. “We have another game tomorrow. New day. Just to come out with aggression and get after them from the start.”
It all comes down to Monday; Florida and Troy will play a winner-take-all game to see who advances to the super regional. The do or die game will begin at 6 p.m. A starting pitcher has not yet been announced for Florida.
“Got a chance to win a regional, bottom line,” O’Sullivan said. “Today’s disappointing, we haven’t pitched well this regional… we’re just gonna have to pitch better if we want to move on.”
