Florida celebrates its win over the Miami Hurricanes, Friday, March 3, 2023, at Condron Family Baseball Park in Gainesville, Florida. The Gators won Game 1, 10-4. [Cyndi Chambers/ Gainesville Sun]

Gators Take First Game Against Hurricanes

Nick VanZandt March 2, 2024 ACC, Baseball, College Baseball, Feature Sports News, Gators Baseball, Gators Sports, NCAA, SEC 108 Views

The No. 4 Florida Gators defeated the Miami Hurricanes 7-3 Friday night in the first game of the three-game series.

Cade Kurland, Jac Caglianone and Ryan Slater were three crucial members of the Gators (7-2) that led to the win before a sellout crowd of 3,555 at Mark Light Field in Coral Gables.

Grabbing the first game in the series is a huge momentum swing the Gators need before Saturday’s game at 3 p.m.

Welcome Back Cade Kurland

Exactly one week prior, starting second baseman Cade Kurland left in Florida’s 16-6 victory against Columbia. Kurland did not return until Friday’s game against the Hurricanes (5-4) and boy did he show up for his team.

Kurland went 3-5 and scoring three runs, including a seventh-inning home run that made it a 5-3 game. Kurland’s speed was in full effect as well.

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In the first inning, Kurland singled to start the game. He reached second with ease on a passed ball and then scored on a fielding error by the Hurricane shortstop. Kurland did not play the field, but still showed how valuable he is to the Gators as a DH.

Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan believes Kurland had a good performance at the plate and confirmed that the Gators did not rush Kurland back from his hand injury.

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“He had a really good night at the plate. It wasn’t really a decision that we made until after batting practice, just to make sure he was all right,” O’Sullivan said. “We don’t want to put him in the lineup if he doesn’t feel like he can go.”

Don’t Let Jac Get Hot

For the second time this week, Caglianone went deep. This time, Caglianone hit a missle to the opposite field, one plate appearance after Kurland hit his homer. Like Kurland, Caglianone went 3-5.

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But unlike Kurland, Caglianone took the field and displayed his prowess on defense. The 6-foot-5 junior from Tampa showcased multiple plays in the field that cost the Hurricanes hits and, in some instances, runs.

Unsung

Outside of Caglianone and Kurland, the Gators received great support from Luke Heyman and Ty Evans. Kurland scored in the first inning when Heyman reached on an error and Heyman then gave the Gators an insurance run with his solo homer in the fifth inning.

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Evan’s single in the fourth inning was the only time he reached base safely, but the way he turned a single to the pitcher into a run is the most important sequence of events in the game. Miami led by one entering the fourth and after Evan’s single, Tyler Shelnut doubled to send Evans to third. Armondo Albert hit a softly hit ball to the first baseman. For most runners, they would hold up at third base on anything hit close to the first baseman. Not Evans, who crashed into home plate and avoided the catcher’s mitt to tie the game at two.

Ryan Slater To The Rescue

Cade Fisher did not have his best game, but in moments displayed why he is the game-one starter in the weekend rotation.

Fisher went 4.2 innings while giving up five hits as well as all three of Miami’s runs. However, multiple times in Friday’s game, Fisher got out of jams that could have led to more output for Miami.

The sophomore lefty exited the game in the fourth with runners on first and second and two outs. Slater (1-0) entered a situation he is all too familiar with in his time in Florida. Unfortunately, Slater walked two straight Hurricanes batters and allowed Miami to score its third run of the game.

In those two at-bats, multiple calls by the home plate umpire were made in favor of the Hurricane batters and Slater appeared frustrated with himself after he struck out the last batter in the inning.

Slater pitched the sixth, seventh and eighth innings and threw to just nine batters in that span. At a point where the Gators needed calm, cool and collected pitching, Slater delivered and shut down the Hurricanes, who averaged 11.1 runs per game entering the game.

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Brandon Neely took the ninth for the Gators. The preseason All-American reliever did what he does best, shut down the game. While there were two runners in scoring position for the Hurricanes in the ninth, Neely shut the door on the last out of the game on a weak ground ball to Colby Shelton.

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Up Next

Liam Peterson (1-0) will enter his first test Saturday against the Hurricanes. Peterson, one of the country’s best pitching prospects, has shined so far in his limited stint in Gainesville.

Peterson pitched seven innings of scoreless baseball and earned SEC Co-Freshman of the Week. It will be a good opponent to challenge Peterson before SEC play starts March 15.

The first pitch is slated for 3 p.m. on the ACC Network and ESPN Gainesville 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.

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About Nick VanZandt

Nick VanZandt is a senior journalism student at the University of Florida and this is his third semester working for WRUF.

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