Pitching Leads Florida Baseball Back to Win Column vs. FSU

Rain fell, but the Florida Gators (20-6, 3-3 SEC) didn’t, shutting out rival Florida State (19-5, 5-1 ACC) 5-0 at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville. The win marks Florida’s 26th in the last 34 meetings between the schools and eight of the past nine series after a March 10 win over the Seminoles at Condron Family Ballpark.

With 20 mph winds moving from left to right all game, Florida pitching controlled the strike zone, combining for 16 strikeouts — including striking out the side in three of the nine innings. Right-handed pitchers Luke McNeillie and Jackson Barberi led the way with six strikeouts each.

Florida fans breathed a sigh of relief when Brendan Lawson appeared in the starting lineup after missing Sunday’s game against Alabama. Lawson was pulled Saturday after his first at-bat due to soreness in his back and was listed as day to day. 

The sophomore slotted into the designated hitter role, batting second in the lineup. Entering the fifth inning, Lawson was 0-for-12 in his last five games. However, after working into a hitter’s count, Florida State intentionally walked Lawson. Following the walk, Ethan Surowiec stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded, but struckout to end the inning, with Florida leading 1-0. 

In the sixth inning, Seminoles designated hitter Kelvyn Paulino Jr. hit what was supposed to be a routine fly ball to right field, if not for the wind, rain and bright stadium lights. Despite the efforts of four Florida defenders — including outfielders Kyle Jones and Cash Strayer, who threw their hands up trying to locate the ball — it dropped, allowing Paulino Jr. to slide into third for a triple as Florida battled both the Seminoles and the weather conditions.

Amid the weather conditions, lightning didn’t strike twice for the Seminoles in the seventh inning when right-handed pitcher Chase Stokes intentionally walked Lawson for the second time. Stokes walked the next two batters, totaling six walks in two innings. 

Florida capitalized, scoring four runs on just two hits. In the eighth, Lawson intentionally walked a third time and could not help but smile as he stood on first base. 

Freshman Kolt Myers continued to get on base for Florida, drawing two walks and getting hit by a pitch. Entering the game, Myers had stolen three bases on the season but swiped four against FSU. Myers and Lawson combined for five walks and executed a successful double steal twice.

“We got one of the best programs in the country for two decades now… and I couldn’t be more proud of the way they responded,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. 

Florida will look to carry that momentum into a weekend SEC series against No. 4 Arkansas. The Razorbacks are coming off a series win over Mississippi State – a series that will once again test Florida’s ability to compete with the best in the SEC.

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