Florida baseball run rules LSU Tigers, takes series: Recap, highlights

O’Sullivan is letting Peterson try to finish this one off with the mercy rule in effect, and the Gators’ righty starts off the bottom of the seventh by getting Milam to fly out deep to left field. Dardar sees three straight breaking balls and swings at all three of them to no avail for out No. 2.

Peterson gets Stanfield to swing on yet another breaking ball for the third out, and the series win is secured for Florida.

Left-hander Zion Theophilus takes over on the mound for LSU to face Stripling with two outs and nobody on. Florida’s first baseman sends a laser over the right field fence for a solo shot, giving the Gators that magical 10-run lead.

Kurland wasn’t finished with the inning, singling through the left side to put a runner on first with two outs. However, a lazy fly ball off Yost’s bat ends the rally for Florida.

(M7: Florida 11, LSU 1)

Edward Yamin IV takes over for Serna Jr. while Evans remains on the mound for LSU to start the seventh. Lawson works the count full before waving at a well-placed offspeed offering for the first out; Surowiec also gets a full count, but draws the walk.

With one on and one out, McDonald grounds back up the middle on the first pitch, moving the lead runner over into scoring position at second. There’s a meeting at the mound as Strayer walks up to the plate — whatever they said didn’t work, as he blasts a three-run home run over the right field fence on a pitch up in the zone.

The Gators now approach mercy-rule territory. Bowen flies out to right for the second out and that is it for Evans.

(T7: Florida 10, LSU 1)

Peterson gets Braun out on a fly ball to left before Serna Jr. grounds out to short; his fastball hit 99 mph during that second sequence. Curiel singles to left field to give LSU a runner with two outs, and after working a full count, Arrambide strikes out looking to end the sixth.

(E6: Florida 7, LSU 1)

Right-hander Casan Evans is now on the mound for the Tigers, and he gets Stripling to ground to the first baseman, who makes the out unassisted. Kurland flies out to the left fielder just in front of the wall after going down 0-2 for out No. 2.

Yost forces a full count before drawing a seven-pitch walk to put a runner on board with two outs. That turns the batting order back over to Cyr, who strikes out swinging to end the frame.

(M6: Florida 7, LSU 1)

Peterson needs just two pitches to get Stanfield to ground out to third before getting Ruckert to swing too far on a changeup in the dirt that is thrown to first for out No. 2. Simpson strikes out, going too far checking his swing on a slider low and away for out No. 3.

Liam has thrown 67 pitches through five frames — truly an efficient outing so far.

(E5: Florida 7, LSU 1)

Left-hander Ethan Plog is now in the game for LSU to face Strayer with one out. Florida’s No. 5 hitter watches three straight balls from the reliever, but the Tigers’ hurler bounces back to strike him out watching a fastball thigh-high on the inner portion of the plate — Plog’s lower 3/4 delivery likely made it hard to see that ball leaving his hand.

Bowen chases a ball high and outside for out No. 3.

(M5: Florida 7, LSU 1)

The top of the fifth starts off with Lawson drawing a four-pitch walk, bringing LSU’s coach out to the mound to assess the situation; Paz has thrown 87 pitches up to this point and is probably on a short leash here. After seven straight balls, Surowiec finally watches a strike go by before crushing a two-run dinger off the batter’s eye in straight-away center field.

Paz remains in the game to face McDonald, who he gets to weakly wave at a curveball for strike three in the dirt, necessitating a throw to first to complete the out. There is another meeting at the mound and there will be a new pitcher.

(T5: Florida 7, LSU 1)

Peterson starts the fourth, having thrown 41 pitches so far, and gets Curiel to ground a high chopper to third base on his third offering, with the throw just beating the runner. Arrambide goes down swinging on a nasty breaking ball for Liam’s sixth strikeout of the game.

LSU finally gets on the board on Milam’s towering fly ball over the right field fence for a solo home run.

Dardar grounds out to the shortstop to end the fourth frame.

(E4: Florida 5, LSU 1)

The Gators get the leadoff runner on after Stripling draws a five-pitch walk. Kurland forces a full count before watching a fastball that looked a little low but was called strike three for the first out; Yost flies out to left on the first pitch he sees for out No. 2.

Cyr strikes out swinging on a nasty breaking ball to end the inning.

(M4: Florida 5, LSU 0)

LSU’s No. 8 hitter Jack Ruckert starts off the bottom of the third watching three balls go by before Peterson bounced back to run the count full; Ruckert then lines a 97 mph fastball into right field for the Tigers’ first base hit of the game. Brayden Simpson hit a flyball to center that Yost struggled to track but ultimately hauled in for the first out.

Peterson gets Braun looking at a fastball that nips the bottom of the zone for out No. 2. After throwing an ugly ball one pitch to Serna Jr., O’Sullivan comes out to talk with his pitcher and the rest of the infield; Florida’s hurler gets the hitter to ground to the shortstop, who pitches the ball to the second baseman for the force out.

(E3: Florida 5, LSU 0)

McDonald opens up the third by grounding back to the pitcher, who throws it to first for out No. 1, and Strayer strikes out swinging on a nasty breaking pitch low inside for the second out. Bowen grounds out to third and the Gators go down 1-2-3.

(M3: Florida 5, LSU 0)

Peterson gets Cade Arrambide swinging on a nasty changeup for a three-pitch strikeout, but then throws three straight balls to Steven Milam before walking him on five pitches. LSU gets its first baserunner on board for Seth Dardar, who also sees three straight balls before finally flying out to left for out No. 2.

Chris Stanfield goes too far checking his swing on a nasty changeup from Peterson for strike three and the inning is over.

Florida’s starter’s pitch count — an important number to watch — currently stands at a solid 24 after two frames.

(E2: Florida 5, LSU 0)

Landon Stripling forces a full count before drawing a walk, and Cade Kurland follows him by sneaking a grounder just under a diving second baseman for a single, allowing Stripling to scamper over to third. With runners at the corners and no outs, Hayden Yost hits a fly ball to deep center field — deep enough for a sac fly and Florida’s third run.

The lineup turns back over to the top with Cyr coming to the plate; he hits a high fly ball to shallow left for the second out. Lawson follows him with a two-run home run that sails way over the right-field fence and out of the stadium — a 496-foot jack that left the bat at 114 mph.

Surowiec hits a ball to the right field warning track, but this one stays in the park for out No. 3.

(M2: Florida 5, LSU 0)

Right-hander Liam Peterson gets Mason Braun to ground out to second on the first pitch he throws to start things off. Omar Serna Jr. goes down swinging on three pitches and Derek Curiel sees four pitches before waving at strike three, giving Florida’s starter a much-needed efficient start.

(E1: Florida 2, LSU 0)

The first pitch from right-hander Marco Paz is a curveball into the heart of the plate to Blake Cyr for strike one, and the game is underway. Cyr flies deep to the warning track in left field, but it is easily hauled in for the first out.

Brendan Lawson gets hit on the leg on a 0-2 count to give the Gators their first baserunner; he steals second on a curveball that gets thrown into center by the catcher. So now with a runner in scoring position, Ethan Surowiec crushes a line drive fair just inside the third base line for a double, driving in Florida’s first run of the game.

With Caden McDonald up, a wild pitch allows Surowiec to scurry over to third; McDonald draws a five-pitch walk and there are now runners at the corners with one out. That brings LSU’s coach out to the mound to discuss the situation with his pitcher and infielders.

Cash Strayer comes up and hits a grounder to third, which is fielded and thrown to first, allowing the lead runner to score Florida’s second run and the other to advance to second. Karson Bowen watches a 96 mph fastball nip the inside corner for strike three and the rally is over.

(M1: Florida 2, LSU 0)