Extra Cash: Strayer Leads Florida Baseball Against South Carolina in 10
Schedule update:
Florida’s Kyle Jones and South Carolina catcher Talmadge LeCroy collided at the plate, a culmination of 10 innings of baseball as both teams struggled to find offensive momentum Friday. The ball popped out of the collision, and the Gators (16-3, 1-0 SEC) — who had overcome an 8 2/3 inning no-hitter — clinched their first SEC matchup to the thunderous applause at Condron Ballpark.
The credit for Florida’s 1-0 win against South Carolina — its first extra-innings win since 2024 — belongs to freshman Cash Strayer. The Gamecocks (12-7, 0-1) walked third baseman Ethan Surowiec to face the freshman from Tampa Plant High School. The calculus was easy, no doubt. Why face a Florida sophomore when South Carolina could pitch against Strayer in his first SEC matchup?
The crowd (5,255) groaned each of the seven times the ball ricocheted off Strayer’s bat and landed in foul territory. But then thunderous applause drowned out the Gators players’ screams of celebration as the team rushed Jones at the plate.
“As a freshman at this level, you got to be talented enough, right number one, your Baseball IQ has got to be high and you got to be very mature,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “Most of the kids, when they have success as freshmen, they’re very even-keeled.”
Florida’s pitching duel against South Carolina lasted 10 innings. As the sun set, the crowd at Condron and both dugouts became restless. Even shortstop Brendan Lawson, who prided himself on waiting for balls to hit, swung for the fences and came up short.
Gators ace Liam Peterson dominated the mound, though it did little to salve the batting woes. In his last three starts, the righty has only allowed two hits in the first five innings. None were for runs. This time around, his fastball clocked 98 miles per hour, and his off-speed lingered in the high 80s. He blanked the Gamecocks through six innings, striking out 10 batters with only two walks given up.
The only small asterisk? Peterson got behind in the count nine times and had to work his way back. The problem worsened the most in the sixth inning. Peterson struck out the last two batters, turning over the lineup, and then walked the start of the order. However, the ace got South Carolina’s Will Craddock to strike out swinging, ending Peterson’s 98-pitch start.
“That’s as sharp as he’s looked for me in his career here,” O’Sullivan said. “His line looks great, obviously, but his stuff was crisp from the first pitch to the end.”
Even when Peterson gave up the only hit in the game — a single in the fourth — the Gators showed up defensively that inning. A 5-4-3 double play put two outs on the scoreboard, and shortstop Brendan Lawson ended the frame with a diving line-drive catch.
But the defensive wins couldn’t offset errors. Catcher Karson Bowen, Justin Nadeau and Sam Miller all pulled first baseman Landon Stripling off the bag with errant throws. Bowen also mismanaged a passed ball, allowing a South Carolina runner to move into scoring position.
Still, through eight innings, the teams had only produced one hit. As the pitchers dueled on the mound, Florida’s batters sputtered in the box, struggling to connect with any balls. Shortstop Brendan Lawson found the most success to that point, if one can call two walks and a hit-by-pitch successful.
South Carolina starter Josh Gunther held Florida hitless through 6 1/3 innings. Though successful, his method was messy. Gunther bounced balls in the dirt before home plate and hit two Gator batters with pitches. The righty relied more on South Carolina’s defense, which collected 14 ground and force outs, rather than inducing whiffs. By the end of his appearance, he walked (3) almost as many Florida hitters as he struck out (5).
Still, it worked. O’Sullivan emptied the bench in the seventh inning in a desperate attempt to turn the lineup over. The Gators walked runners into scoring position, but lead-off hitter Kyle Jones still couldn’t figure out South Carolina’s pitching. He ended the frame on a fielder’s choice.
With the aid of relievers Alex Valentin and Bradon Stone, South Carolina no-hit the Gators for 8 2/3 innings before the crowd exploded when Sam Miller’s single bounced into the outfield. For the first time in the game, the Gators finally hit the ball. Still, Florida came up fruitless in the ninth, and the game continued into extra innings.
Despite Reliever Joshua Whritenour’s struggles, he shone the brightest. He re-established dominance multiple times in high-leverage positions as a freshman pitcher, a feat that can’t be understated. If Florida were still looking for its closer, it should wrap up the search. Few in Florida’s bullpen stack up to the righty normally. Even fewer would be able to perform the way Whritenour (2-0) did.
“Obviously, he struggled with his command tonight, but for him to be able to get through that and not give in speaks volumes of where he’s at mentally,” O’Sullivan said. “He should feel good about himself.”
Nothing, though, compared to Jones’ slide at home.
Florida will need to keep the electrifying 10-inning energy into Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. first pitch, when righty Aidan King (2-1, 0.00 ERA) takes the mound. Until then, the Gator can revel in their undefeated record. Coverage begins at 6:25 p.m. on 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF and five minutes later on SEC Network+.
The Gamecocks will throw righty Amp Phillips (2-1, 3.50).
UPDATE: Sunday’s series finale has been moved up to a noon start due to potential inclement weather in the forecast. Coverage will start at 11:55 a.m. on 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF and at noon on SEC Network+.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Baseball, SEC
