Riopelle Homers Twice as Florida Takes Down the Aggies 6-5

The Florida Gator baseball team defeated the Texas A&M Aggies 6-5 in College Station in game one of a three-game series.

The Gators were led offensively by BT Riopelle’s two-homer day as well as Wyatt Langford and Cade Kurland’s two-hit night. Also, there’s a new name atop the program record home runs for second basemen. Kurland cracked history with the game-winning run in the top of the seventh.

Brandon Sproat started on the mound for the Gators as Nathan Dettmer was handed the ball for the Aggies.

BT Blast

Sproat gave up a single and a double in the first inning after the Aggies challenged a call at second base. The call of out stood and a ground out and a fly out left two runners on base for Texas A&M.

The Gators blasted a pair of extra bases hits in the second inning and put the orange and blue up by a pair.

Josh Rivera led the second inning off with a double and BT Riopelle smacked a ball over the right field wall for a 2-0 game.

The Aggie stranded a runner again after Sproat hit a batter in the second inning.

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Florida Extends Its Lead

Cade Kurland singled to right field in the third inning and Langford advanced him to third with another hit. Caglianone grounded out but it sent Kurland home, extending the Gators lead 3-0.

Sproat followed that with a clean 1-2-3 inning.

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Riopelle worked a walk in the fourth inning as Heyman put two runners on with a single to center field. A ground out by Halter advanced both runners and a sac fly from Tyler Shelnut brought in the fourth run.

Aggies Stay Alive on the Long Ball

Sproat’s first pitch of the fourth inning cut the game to 4-1. The freshman Jace LaViolette sent a ball over the left-center wall to put Texas A&M on the board.

But, two flyouts and a strikeout ended the fourth inning.

And, it would be another home run that would tie the game for Texas A&M.

Back-to-back singles by Max Kaufer and Hunter Haas put two runners on for the Aggies. Trevor Werner would represent the tying run as he homered to left field.

Florida Responds With A Couple Homers

Riopelle matched his home run in the second inning with a go-ahead homer in the sixth.

BT to the 𝙈𝙊𝙊𝙉 🌕#GoGators // 📺 https://t.co/FVtDK3RvA3 pic.twitter.com/F05KAZ6iyD

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 6, 2023

The Aggies were able to tie the ballgame again in the home half of the sixth inning. Ryan Targac singled and Jordan Thompson walked, sending Cade Fisher in to relieve Sproat. An error by Josh Rivera at short on a bouncer ground ball sent Targac home for an unearned run.

But, it would be the freshman Kurland who would take a swing and crack history. He sent his 14th long ball over the fence the put Florida ahead 6-5. That’s the most home runs by a Florida Gator second baseman in program history.

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Relieve Pitching Secures the Win

Ryan Slater relieved Fisher after he recorded one out. He got one out in the bottom of the sixth and recorded one out in the bottom of the seventh before Philip Abner came in.

Abner has been a solid force at the backend of the bullpen for the Gators and he prevailed again. Abner faced five batters and struck out three of them.

Neely entered in the ninth inning and ran into some trouble as he walked two batters. But, he escaped it and earned his ninth save on the season.

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The Gators won game one and look to take the series on Saturday with Hurston Waldrep on the mound.