Gators Baseball Pounces on Stetson Errors to Sweep Series
No. 12 Florida baseball swept its first midweek series of the season Wednesday by defeating the Stetson Hatters 9-3.
Stetson (0-5) opened the first inning strong at Condron Family Ballpark in becoming the only team this season to hold Florida (4-1) scoreless in the opening frame. However, the shutout was short-lived.
Gators outfielder Blake Cyr and designated hitter Jacob Kendall reached base before a fielder’s choice allowed catcher Cole Stanford to reach in the bottom of the second. Cyr scored on throwing errors by Stetson pitcher Brendan Walker and second baseman Juan De la Cruz.
Things went from bad to worse for the Hatters. On the next pitch, Walker hit freshman Cash Strayer to load the bases. Stetson coach Steve Trimper then called for a pitching change. Right-hander Dallis Moran entered with one out and the bases loaded.
However, Stetson’s defensive struggles continued. Sophomore Kyle Jones hit a comebacker, but Moran’s throw home was off target to allow Kendall to score. The miscue marked Stetson’s third error of the inning and gave Florida a 2-0 lead.
Brendan Lawson followed with a double to the left-field corner to drive in two runs and extend the lead to 4-0. Lawson later scored to cap a six-run second inning.
The Hatters responded as the game progressed. Freshman Renzo Gonzalez hit a two-run home run to put Stetson on the board and cut the deficit to four. Gonzalez was one of six freshmen in the Hatters’ starting lineup.
Florida’s bullpen responded in key moments. Jackson Hoyt made his collegiate debut in the fourth inning, but allowed two singles and hit shortstop Jack Harley to load the bases with one out. Florida turned to Notre Dame transfer Ricky Reeth, whose second pitch to De la Cruz resulted in an inning-ending double play.
In the fifth, Reeth allowed multiple hits as Stetson scored its third run, trimming Florida’s lead to 7-3. Coach Kevin O’Sullivan again went to the bullpen. With runners on second and third, left-hander Ernesto Lugo-Canchola struck out the sixth and seventh hitters in the lineup to end the threat.
Lugo-Canchola, a transfer from Northwest Nazarene and the 2025 NCAA Division II Pitcher of the Year, was dominant in relief. When he exited in the eighth inning, he had retired the first 17 batters he faced across his first two appearances with Florida.
“He’s extremely competitive, you can see how viable the portal can end up being,” O’Sullivan said.
Florida added insurance runs in the sixth. Cyr led off the inning with a home run that hit the right-field foul pole. Stanford followed with a solo shot to left to extend the Gators’ lead to 9-3 and seal the victory.
“We played errorless baseball … I thought that they had good focus,” O’Sullivan said. “Excited about the way we’re playing, but obviously we got a long way to go.”
Luke McNeillie (1-0) made his season debut and threw two scoreless innings in a controlled start.
Florida is back at home for a three-game series against Kennesaw State. All three games air on SEC Network+ with the opener at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Coverage on 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF starts at 6:25 p.m.
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