Gator Baseball Takes Series Against Vols

The rain poured in Knoxville, Tennessee but thunder struck for the third-ranked Florida Gators baseball team on Friday night with a 9-3 win to claim the series over the 11th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. Florida (28-5, 10-2 SEC) has now won 12-straight series dating back to last season and are now 8-0 on the road.

The Gators hit four home runs in the win including Matt Prevesk’s first of his career, which gave the Orange & Blue a 9-2 lead in the fifth inning. Prevesk finished the night going 2-for-4 with four RBIs.

https://twitter.com/GatorsBB/status/1644494945334734848?s=20

Hurston Waldrep pitched seven innings for the Gators to get the win on the mound as he allowed three earned runs while striking out nine. He retired 12-straight batters from the second inning through the fifth inning with the last six all being strikeouts.

In two innings of relief, Cade Fisher added five more strikeouts. Through two games, Gator pitchers have allowed only six total runs and have struck out 32 total batters. Florida struck out 18 batters on Thursday and 14 more on Friday.

https://twitter.com/GatorsBB/status/1644497680553615361?s=20

Gators plate early runs

Wyatt Langford and Jac Caglianone recorded back-to-back base hits to open the game. After BT Riopelle walked, Colby Halter drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Gators on the board. Prevesk then smacked a ground-rule double to center field to put the Gators up 3-0.

Additionally, Josh Rivera added to Florida’s total in the second inning with a two-run home run. Through two games in the series, Rivera is 2-for-6 with two home runs and five RBIs.

𝐿𝒶𝒹𝒾𝑒𝓈 & 𝒢𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓁𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓃…

ＴＨＥ ＧＲＡＮＤ ＲＩＶＥＲＡ.#GoGators // 📺 SEC Network pic.twitter.com/B0n440wYOX

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) April 7, 2023

Tennessee cut the lead in the bottom frame behind a two-run home run courtesy of Zane Denton to make the score 5-2 going into the third inning.

Back-to-back jacks plus one in the fifth extend lead

With the rain falling down, the Trenton Thunder struck for the Gators in the fourth inning with Langford’s second home run in four games.

In the next at-bat, Caglianone hit his nation-leading 19th home run of the season to give the Gators back-t0-back jacks and a 7-2 lead. Prevesk added his two-run home run the next inning to give Florida a 9-2 lead.

Langford, Caglianone and Prevesk provided six of Florida’s eight hits with two each.

https://twitter.com/GatorsBB/status/1644491262333194242?s=20

However, Tennessee plated another run in the seventh after a pinch-hit RBI single from Griffin Merritt to make it a 9-3 game. The Gators were in danger of giving up more runs, but a diving stop by Halter halted the Volunteers and ended the inning.

https://twitter.com/GatorsBB/status/1644506767223820289?s=20

From there, Fisher took the mound in the eighth inning and struck out five of his seven batters faced in the final two frames to seal the win for the Gators.

Up next

The Gators will go for the sweep the Volunteers on Saturday afternoon with a 2 p.m. start. Caglianone (3-0, 4.18 ERA) will start on the mound.

The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2 with radio coverage on WRUF.