Florida baseball vs Texas A&M recap, highlights as Gators take opener

Righty Billy Barlow comes in to close things out and starts things off by striking out Hacopian looking on a 92 mph fastball that nibbles the lower edge of the zone. He allows an infield single to Duer on a ball fielded by the diving shortstop, but no throw was made. Smart play by Lawson there to hold onto it.

That brings up Partida, who flies out to center field for out No. 2. With the Gators one out away from the series-opening win, a defensive indifference allows Duer to advance to second before Kiel II flies out to right field to end the game. Gators win, 9-2.

Texas A&M’s seventh pitcher of the game, left-hander Hunter Bond, comes in with the bases jammed and no outs. A grounder on the infield grass by Bowen to the second baseman brings home another score, and the baserunners all advance.

With the infield brought in, a chopper off Kurland’s bat to the shortstop is misplayed and two more runs score — the rout is now officially on.

However, Kurland makes the second out by getting thrown out trying to steal second, emptying the bases for Bond.

A hot shot to short by Schwarz ends the inning, but the Gators now have a seven-run lead heading into the top of the ninth. (E8: Texas A&M 2, Florida 9)

Jones opens up the bottom of the eighth against righty Luke Billings with yet another double for the Gators, this one a line drive to the left-center gap. Lawson follows that with a hit-by-pitch and TAMU’s coach comes out to quickly check on his reliever.

The chat doesn’t seem to work as Billings falls behind 3-0 before walking Surowiec to load the bases on five pitches. He then plunks Cyr to force in Florida’s sixth run, and that’s it for the righty. (B8: Texas A&M 2, Florida 6)

Believe it or not, King remains in the game despite his pitch count of 101 — looks like Sully saw that 96 mph heater last inning and wanted a little bit more from his starter. He gets Kellner out on a ground ball up the middle that was fielded by the second baseman, and that brings up the top of the order.

King starts looking a little jittery on the mound against Grahovac after 111 throws, bringing out the catcher for a brief chat. He gets him to fly out to left on a 96 mph heater — pitch No. 115 — for the second out. He gets Sorrell looking on a fastball to end his 121-pitch outing. (M8: Texas A&M 2, Florida 5)

Lefty Cooper Powell enters the game for TAMU with runners at first and second and two outs to face Yost, who drove the count full before foul-tipping a 93 mph fastball down the heart of the plate for out No. 3. (E7: Texas A&M 2, Florida 5)

Righty Juan Vargas takes over on the mound for TAMU and surrenders a single to left on his second offering – an 84 mph changeup — to Cyr. The announcers note that McNeillie is now the lone pitcher in the bullpen for the Gators, so expect to see him in the top of the eighth.

Bowen works a full count before hitting a fly ball to short right-center, caught by the second baseman for the first out. That brings Kurland, who watches a wild pitch in the dirt that allows Cyr to scamper over to second, eliminating the potential double play.

The Gators’ righty hitter runs up another full count, forcing Vargas to throw 10 pitches for the first walk of the night for either team. That brings the coach out to the mound for a conference along with the infielders.

Two on and one out for Schwarz, who flies out center — deep enough for Cyr to take third base, but now there are two down. McDonald comes up to the plate fresh off his solo shot in the sixth and brings in another run with a liner up the middle, adding some insurance to the Gators’ lead. (B7: Texas A&M 2, Florida 5)

King gets Kiel II to pop up right behind first base on his 90th pitch of the game for out No. 1. Meanwhile, the Gators have Luke McNeillie and Ernesto Lugo-Canchola warming up in the pen.

The Gators’ righty gets Wilkson out looking at a low 93 mph fastball after the Aggie forced a full count.

Pitch No. 99 is a 96 mph fastball — his hardest thrown pitch of the night, showing that he still has some gas left even in the later innings. Cyr runs down a fly ball in left field for the third out, ending the frame. (M7: Texas A&M 2, Florida 4)

Southpaw Ethan Darden enters the game for the Aggies with two outs and nobody on to face Lawson. The left-handed Gators batter gets grazed on the leg by an 81 mph slider, keeping the inning alive for Surowiec.

Lawson gets plenty of attention at first, drawing pickoff throw after pickoff throw before the No. 3 hitter swings and misses at a low breaking ball to end the inning. (E6: Texas A&M 2, Florida 4)

McDonald adds some padding to Florida’s lead with a solo shot over the left field fence off a fastball right down the middle of the plate, and now it is a 4-2 game. That’s the first dinger for the redshirt sophomore this season.

Yost strikes out on a ball in the dirt and is thrown out at first for the initial out of the inning. Jones strikes out on a check swing after a clear ball four was miscalled by the umpire, and that is the end of Cunningham’s day. (B6: Texas A&M 2, Florida 4)

King starts the sixth with 72 pitches thrown and gets Hacopian to fly out to right field, where Hayden Yost — who replaced Wilson on defense the inning prior — makes the catch. Duer grounds an 86 mph changeup to first for an unassisted out and Partida pops up a full-count fastball to clinch another 1-2-3 inning for Florida’s hurler.

At 85 pitches, King probably has one more frame left in him. (M6: Texas A&M 2, Florida 3)

Cyr starts things off with a slow roller up the middle that the second baseman fields and throws to first for the out; Bowen flies out to center immediately after. That’s three pitches, two outs for Cunningham in the fifth.

Kurland then singles the second pitch he sees just beyond the shortstop’s outstretched glove to keep the inning alive. Schwarz turns an 0-2 count into a full one before grounding to short for out No. 3. (E5: Texas A&M 2, Florida 3)

Kellner opens things up with a line drive out to center field off the first pitch he sees, followed by a flyout to center by Grahovac after forcing a full count. Sorrell watches a few close pitches from King before flying out to right field for a 1-2-3 inning. (M5: Texas A&M 2, Florida 3)

Grant Cunningham is now in the game and gets Surowiec to fly out in deep right field. The threat is over with no damage done. (E4: Texas A&M 2, Florida 3)

McDonald crushes a 75 mph curveball into the left-center gap for yet another double for the Orange and Blue, setting the table for another crooked number this inning. Wilson goes down swinging on three straight pitches for the first out, but Jones is able to put runners on the corners with a fly ball to center that falls in front of the fielder for a single.

That brings the catcher to the mound as the TAMU bullpen starts to get busy — right-hander Grant Cunningham is up and throwing.

Lawson pops out in foul territory behind third base on the first pitch he sees for the second out; not the plate discipline Sully wants to see in that situation. And now it is time to change pitchers. (B4: Texas A&M 2, Florida 3)

Partida begins the fourth by flying out to straightaway center on King’s second offering of the inning; Kiel II flies out to right on the second pitch he sees. That’s a quick two outs for King, who is up to 48 pitches in 3 2/3 frames of work so far.

Wilson forces the Gators’ righty to throw five pitches before bouncing a grounder to the shortstop, whose errant throw to first gives TAMU life with two outs, robbing King of another efficient inning. Harrison pops out to second to close out the top of the inning. (M4: Texas A&M 2, Florida 3)

Lawson begins the bottom of the third by forcing a full count after starting 0-2 before sending a line drive into the right-center gap for a double. No outs and a runner already in scoring position for Surowiec, who skies a shallow fly ball into short right field for out No. 1.

Cyr follows that by crushing a high fastball off the left-center wall to tie the score at 2-2, while taking second to keep a Gator in scoring position.

Bowen gives the ball a ride out to left field, but it lands in the left fielder’s glove for out No. 2. A wild pitch allows Cyr to take third base and he comes home on a deep drive into the left-center gap off Kurland’s bat on a 3-2 pitch to give the Gators the lead back.

Schwarz pops up in foul territory behind first base for out No. 3 but Florida regains the upperhand after three frames. (E3: Texas A&M 2, Florida 3)

King’s first pitch of the third is scortched to the left side just beyond the shortstop’s glove for a leadoff hit by Bear Harrison. Boston Kellner becomes strikeout No. 4 on the day so far, swinging at a slider moving away from the zone. One out and the order returns to the top.

Grahovac then crushes a no-doubter over the left field wall on a slider over the plate and the Aggies take a 2-1 lead. That’s now a 14-game hitting streak for TAMU’s first baseman.

Sorrell flies out to left-center field, but Hacopian puts the ball into center field off the end of his bat for a two-out single. Duer grounds out to second and a tough third inning for King is over. (M3: Texas A&M 2, Florida 1)

Colton Schwarz opens up the bottom of the second with an infield single that took the shortstop too deep into the outfield to make the throw in time. Caden McDonald forces a full count before swinging at an 81 mph slider for the first out.

The ninth hitter, Ashton Wilson, waves at a fastball outside the zone for out No. 2; Jones forces a full count before lining out to left to end the inning. (E2: Texas A&M 0, Florida 1)

King’s first pitch is put in play for a groundout to the shortstop off the bat of Jake Duer. Then Florida’s righty strikes out Nico Partida with a 93-mph fastball on the inner half of the plate that had some nice armside run for out No. 2.

Terrence Kiel II gets the Aggies’ first hit of the night with a grounder through the left side, but Bear Harrison watches a called third strike slider on the low inside corner to end the frame. (M2: Texas A&M 0, Florida 1)

Kyle Jones leads things off with a routine grounder to shortstop off of an 83-mph slider from Shane Sdao for the first out of the inning. Brendan Lawson strikes out with a check swing on a 95 mph fastball above the zone for out No. 2.

Ethan Surowiec keeps the inning alive with a ground ball base hit through the left side, just a few feet left of where Jones hit his grounder. Blake Cyr gets plunked and now the Gators have a runner in scoring position with two outs for Karson Bowen.

Bowen brings Surowiec home with an opposite-field liner to right, moving Cyr to third.

Runners on the corners with two outs, and Cade Kurland flies out to center on the first pitch he sees. But the Gators get on the board in the bottom of the first. (E1: Texas A&M 0, Florida 1)

First pitch of the game is a 95 mph fastball from Aidan King on the outer portion of the plate to Gavin Grahovac and we are underway! The first batter goes down on a fly ball to left field; Caden Sorrell sends the first pitch he sees to the same spot for out No. 2.

A 91 mph fastball on the bottom corner of the zone gets Chris Hacopian and King gets a 10-pitch, 1-2-3 inning to open things up. (M1: Texas A&M 0, Florida 0)