UF's Jac Caglianone has homered in a program-record eight-straight games. [Ashleigh Lucas/WRUF]

Gators Fall at Vanderbilt in Game 1; Caglianone Continues Historic Homer Streak

Jesse Simmons April 18, 2024 Baseball, College Baseball, Feature Sports News, Gators Baseball, Gators Sports 131 Views

After collecting 38 hits in their last three games, the Florida Gators carried hot bats into Thursday’s game against the No. 13 Vanderbilt Commodores, but it was Vandy’s night at the plate in Game 1 in Nashville, Tenn., winning 10-5

Vandy exploded for four homer runs to bounce back from a sweep by No. 3 Texas A&M the previous weekend, routing the Gators 10-5. Jac Caglianone continued his historic hitting streak, but the Gators left eight runners stranded on base and struck out 10 times.

The Commodores completed its 16th consecutive win at home, improving to 28-10 on the season and 9-7 in the SEC. Florida dropped its sixth conference loss in seven games, falling to 19-18 overall and 7-9 in the SEC.

Close Start

The Gators brought the noise early in Music City, with a leadoff double from Ty Evans (1-for-2), later brought home by a chopper to second base from Colby Shelton (2-for-5) to put Florida up 1-0.

Right-handed junior Brandon Neely (1-2, 6.81 ERA) made his third start of the season for the Gators after transitioning back out of the closer role, carrying a 35% whiff rate (league average 18%).

Neely came into Thursday’s matchup owning a 1.74 ERA across 10 1/3 frames with nine strikeouts in his career against Vanderbilt, but that changed after coach Kevin O’Sullivan let him face the Vandy lineup for a third time. 

Neely collected his first two punch outs in the third inning, but a two-out double led to a towering homer run over the right field foul pole by Davis Diaz to put Vandy up 2-1.

Tyler Shelnut (1-for-5) followed his first career multi-homer game for the Gators with a 409-foot homer, clearing the stands in left center to tie the game at 2 a piece in the top of the fourth inning.

Group Vandy Cycle

After holding Vandy to two runs on five hits through four innings, Neely faced his third round through the lineup in the fifth.

This time, the Commodores blew the game open, batting around the order to tally five more runs.

RJ Austin (3-for-5, 3 RBI) led the eruption, burning Evans in right field with an opposite field two-run triple.

An RBI single the next at bat, later followed by a two-run blast to dead center from Alan Espinal (2-for-5, 2 RBI) poured it on for the Commodores 7-2, completing the team cycle in the inning.

The Gators scratched a run back in the sixth inning with Luke Heyman (1-for-4) lining an RBI single off the wall to make it 7-3, but third baseman Davis Diaz stepped up with back-to-back web gems killing Florida’s rally. 

Although he should’ve been finished for the night, Neely was run back out in the sixth, giving up a moon shot to Troy LaNeve (2-for-4) on the first pitch, clearing the batter’s eye for a solo homer put Vandy up 8-3.

Side-arm righty Blake Purnell took over for Neely but didn’t help the case for Florida.

RJ Austin continued his Thursday night tear, taking a floating 1-0 fastball to the moon for a solo homer to left field. 

Jac Brings Rain After Delay

After an hour lightning delay put the game in a standstill with not a single drop falling on Hawkins Field, Jac Caglianone (3-for-5, 2 RBI) brought the missing rain.

Caglianone swatted an opposite field home run (22nd) in the seventh, making it 9-5. It’s his eighth straight game with a home run, one game shy of tying the NCAA record set by Nevada’s Tyler Bosetti in 2021.

Caglianone boosted his average to .407 on the season with his 16th straight game with a hit (13 homers in those 16 games).

Grayson Smith, coming in allowing 11 runs in his last three outings, continued to struggle as he issued consecutive walks and an infield hit to load the bases with no outs in the seventh. Reliever Frank Menendez stepped in to stop the bleeding at 10-5.

Florida attempted to rally in the ninth, but ended the game with the bases loaded, squandering yet another opportunity.

Up Next

Florida is back at Hawkins Field in Nashville for Game 2 against the Commodores on Friday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.

Vandy will start lefty Carter Holton (5-1, 4.15 ERA), while UF has not announced a starter.

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