Florida baseball defeats in-state rival Florida State Seminoles

Whritenour slammed the door in emphatic fashion.

The freshman retired the side on three straight strikeouts to close out a 6-3 rivalry win over Florida State. Fisher, Stuetzer and Sheffield all went down swinging as Whritenour was absolutely unhittable in the ninth, ending the game on a dominant note for the Gators.

Florida improves to 15-3 on the season with a statement win over its in-state rival.

Kendall struck out looking and Nadeau went down swinging to put Florida in an early two-out hole. Jones worked a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch, and Lawson drew another walk to put two runners on with two outs. But Surowiec hit into a fielder’s choice to end the inning and strand both runners.

The Gators will have to settle for a three-run cushion heading into the ninth.

It got a little sloppy for Florida baseball in the eighth but the Gators got away with it.

Lugo-Canchola gave up a leadoff single to Paulino Jr. and struck out Down, then Carns singled to put two on. But the play came with a footnote.

Lawson ran out to left field on what should have been Kendall’s ball, missed the catch and allowed Carns to reach safely with Paulino Jr. moving to second. The miscommunication put Florida in an unnecessary jam and was enough to bring right-hander Joshua Whritenour out of the bullpen.

The freshman reliever responded well, striking out Putnam and getting pinch hitter Brody DeLamielleure to go down swinging on a full count.

It was a quick inning at the plate for the Gators. Strayer, Schawrz and Stripling all went down without doing any damage, with two flyouts and a groundout to end the frame.

The Orange and Blue are six outs away from a rivalry win over FSU. Left-hander Ernesto Lugo-Canchola is on the mound to pitch for Florida in the eighth.

Barberi is putting on a show on the mound.

He sat down FSU in order on three straight strikeouts, punching out Stuetzer looking, Sheffield swinging and Bailey looking on a full count to complete the inning.

Barberi’s struck out five straight FSU hitters and the Gators head to the bottom of the seventh looking to add more to their 6-3 lead.

Lawson got hold of a 2-2 pitch and absolutely demolished it — a 401-foot, 104 mph missile to right center that gave the Gators some breathing room and pushed the lead to 6-3.

It was Lawson’s ninth home run of the year, leaving him just one shy of his total from all of last season.

That kind of power in the middle of a game like this is exactly what Florida needed. The Orange and Blue take a three-run lead into the seventh.

Barberi came up big for Florida when the Gators needed it. He walked Putnam on a full count to put runners on first and second. But Barberi dialed in with back-to-back strikeouts that included a 101 mph fastball to end the inning without allowing a run.

It was exactly the kind of outing Florida needed from its bullpen in a high-leverage spot against a rival.

Sandefer got Dowd to strike out to open the sixth, but Carns hit a bloop single to put a runner on. Right-handed pitcher Jackson Barberi comes on with one out and the tying run at the plate, tasked with keeping the Seminoles ar bay and protecting a two-run lead.

A quick, quiet inning for the Gators at the plate. Stripling, Kendall and Nadeau all went down in order via groundouts.

Russell Sandefer had a rocky start to his outing but got the job done.

The Florida reliever walked the first batter, but the Seminoles got caught on the base paths and Stuetzer was picked off and caught in a rundown that ended in an out. Sandefer then walked Sheffield, but buckled down when it mattered. He got Bailey to strike out swinging and Paulino Jr. to ground out to end the frame.

Florida heads to the bottom of the fifth with a 5-3 lead.

Lawson popped up to short and Surowiec went down looking on a full count to put Florida in an early two-out hole. Bowen got hit by a pitch and Strayer worked a walk to put two runners on with two outs, giving the Gators an opportunity to extend the lead. But Schwarz went down on strikes to end the inning and strand both runners.

The lead stays at 5-3 heading to the top of the fifth with right handed pitcher Russell Sandefer in to pitch for the Orange and Blue.

Florida’s lead took a small hit in the fourth but held up.

McNeillie got the first two Seminoles out with ease, getting Dowd to fly out to center and striking out Carns. But Putnam kept the inning alive with a double down the left field line that was extremely close to being foul, and Bavaro hit an RBI single that scored Putnam and cut the lead to 5-3.

Fisher then grounded out to end the inning, though the play went to replay review to check whether the first baseman kept his foot on the bag. The runner was ruled out and the game heads to the bottom of the fourth.

Florida flipped this game completely on its head.

After Surowiec’s RBI single made it a one-run game, the Gators kept right on hitting. Bowen singled to right to load the bases, and Strayer delivered a two-RBI single to left center that scored both Surowiec and Lawson to give Florida its first lead of the night at 3-2.

The Gators weren’t done.

Kendall hit a two-RBI single up the middle that scored Strayer and Bowen to push the lead to 5-2. Condron Family Ballpark is alive.

Florida finally got something going, as Kyle Jones slapped a single to left and immediately took matters into his own hands by stealing second to put himself in scoring position. Lawson worked a walk to put two on, and Surowiec came through with a clutch RBI single to left that scored Jones and cut the FSU lead to 2-1.

The Seminoles are bringing in Chris Knier to try to sop the bleeding.

McNeillie looked a lot better in the third. After a two-run mess in the second, the reliever came back out and retired FSU in order on three straight ground balls. The Orange and Blue still trail 2-0 but the bullpen has steadied the ship for now. Florida looks to get some offense going in the bottom of the third.

Florida third baseman Colton Schwarz worked a walk to lead off the inning and gave the Gators a baserunner with nobody out, but Landon Stripling grounded into a double play on the very next at-bat. Left fielder Jacob Kendall then struck out looking on a full count to end the frame.

The Gators are now through two innings without a hit and trail 2-0 against the Seminoles. McNeillie takes the mound again in the top of the third.

McNeillie came in with two runners on and made things harder on himself, uncorking a wild pitch that moved FSU runners to second and third before walking a Seminole batter to load the bases.

McNeillie was able to strike out the next batter, but on an 0-2 pitch, FSU shortstop Cal Fisher lined a two-RBI single to right center to give the Seminoles a 2-0 lead. McNeillie then got John Stuetzer to strike out swinging to end the inning, but the damage was done. The Gators will need a quick response from the offense.

Sandford’s night was a short one. He got FSU’s leadoff man to fly out to open the second, but back-to-back walks was enough for Kevin O’Sullivan to turn to the bullpen.

Right-hander Luke McNeillie comes in with two runners on and one out, inheriting a jam that Sandford created. It’s an early hook for the Florida starter, and McNeillie will need to strand both runners to keep this one scoreless.

Florida had the pieces in place to strike first but couldn’t cash in.

FSU pitcher John Abraham walked Brendan Lawson to put a runner on and then gave up a wild pitch that moved Ethan Surowiec into scoring position. Abraham then walked Karson Bowen to have runners on first and second with two outs.

But Cash Strayer went down on strikes to strand the two runners and end the first inning. Strayer continues to struggle at the plate in what seems to be the biggest slump of his collegiate career.

Schuyler Sandford had a little early trouble but got out of it clean. The right-hander walked the Florida State leadoff batter on a full count before the Seminoles tried to get cute and run him, but was gunned down at second on a caught stealing to erase the baserunner as a part of a strike ’em out throw ’em out sequence.

Sandford struck out two Seminoles right after giving up the walk. Florida comes to bat in the bottom of the first.