What appeared to be a comfortable Florida victory turned into one of the wildest games of the Gators’ season.
Brendan Lawson stepped into the left-handed batter’s box to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning. Ahead in the count, the Florida shortstop got a pitch across the plate and delivered, lifting the Gators to an 8-7 walk-off win Friday over Rider in the opening game of the Gainesville Regional at Condron Family Ballpark.
Lawson’s blast marked Florida’s first walk-off home run in the NCAA Tournament since 2018 and preserved the Gators’ dominance in regional openers. Florida has now won the first game in 18 of its 20 home regionals.
“We led off the inning with Brendan and we were fortunate there, because obviously he’s been seeing the ball good,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said.
After trailing 4-0 entering the eighth inning, Rider stunned the home crowd with a six-run frame. Anthony Paskell tied the game with a grand slam before Nick Shuhet followed with a two-run home run, giving the Broncs a 6-4 lead and silencing a crowd that had spent most of the afternoon celebrating.
Kyle Jones rounds third after a solo-shot homer to lead off the bottom of the first inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Russell Sandefer delivers the first pitch of the top of the second inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Russell Sandefer celebrates after retiring the last batter of the third inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Gators manager Kevin O’Sullivan visits the mound in the sixth inning after Sandefer gave up a single that lead to a stolen base and walked a batter. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Caden McDonald warms up on the mound as he replaces Russell Sandefer in the sixth inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Caden McDonald (left) and Russell Sandefer (right) high-five each other on their way back to the dugout at the end of the sixth inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Landon Stripling makes his way around the bases after a solo home run to center field in the sixth inning, extending the Gators lead to four. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Landon Stripling jogs to home plate following a no-doubter to right center in the sixth inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Landon Stripling (left) and Cade Kurland (right) celebrate at home plate after Stripling homered to center field in the sixth inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Landon Stripling (left) and Cade Kurland (right) tap helmets at home plate after Stripling homered to center field in the sixth inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Hayden Yost gets set in the batters box in the bottom of the sixth inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Caden McDonald warms up on the mound before the top of the seventh inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Anthony Paskell hugs his teammates at home plate after blasting a grand slam to tie the game in the top of the eighth. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
The Rider dugout is riled up as with Anthony Paskell joins the celebration after his grand slam in the top of the eighth inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Nick Shuhett opens up for an embrace from his teammates at home plate after a two-run homer to take the lead in the eighth. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Rider is ecstatic after they took the lead in the top of the eighth, a shocking moment for the Broncs. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Caden McDonald rounds first base as he watches his eighth inning at-bat clear the wall to bring their deficit to one run. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Caden McDonald rounds third base straight-faced after his solo homer brings the Gators only one run shy of Rider in the eighth inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Caden McDonald rounds third base straight-faced after his solo homer brings the Gators only one run shy of Rider in the eighth inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Cade Kurland jogs past third base on his way to home plate after his two-run homer puts the Gators back in the lead in the eighth inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Cade Kurland approaches home plate after a two-run homer as the Florida dugout awaits him to celebrate in the eighth inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
The Gators dugout celebrates with Cade Kurland after his two-run homer in the eighth inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Joshua Whritenour warms up on the mound in the ninth inning, replacing Jaden Barberi in the eighth inning. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Matt Leahy rounds third base in the ninth inning after his solo home run ties the game at 7-7. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Brendan Lawson swings at an outside corner pitch that lead to him hitting the winning home run, as the Gators previal in Gainesville, 8-7. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Brendan Lawson is hyped up making his way around the bases after he hit a walk-off homer to win the game for the Gators, 8-7. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Brendan Lawson steps on home plate to score the game-winning run for the Gators. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
The Florida dugout celebrates the win against Rider after a walk-off homer by Brendan Lawson. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
Brendan Lawson exchanges embraces with his teammates after his walk-off homer. (Photo by Ryan Scarane/WRUF)
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Florida, however, had an answer. Cade Kurland, who has delivered several big moments during his Gators career, added another in the bottom half of the inning. The redshirt junior launched a two-run home run to put Florida back in front, 7-6, and appeared to have delivered the decisive blow.
That lead would only last a few minutes.
Down to its final three outs, Rider got another clutch swing from shortstop Matt Leahy. Listed at 150 pounds, Leahy drove a full-count fastball over the fence in the ninth inning to tie the game at 7, setting up Lawson’s heroics. Leahy’s tying homer was his first of the season.
“Credit to Rider, they played really good and the hung in there to the end,” O’Sullivan said. “Their pitcher did just an incredible job coming off of his weekend last week. So, I commend him and his competitive spirit for sure.”
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2006 Football National Championship
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Tim Tebow Heisman (2007)
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2017 College World Series Title
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Steve Spurrier Heisman (1966)
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Sandefer, who opened the season in the bullpen before earning a spot in the weekend rotation, held Rider scoreless through 5 2/3 innings. He allowed two hits while striking out five batters before running into trouble in the sixth.
“Winning the first game is very big in these regionals,” Sandefer said. “Rider’s a very well coached team. We knew the scouting report going into it, not a lot of swing and miss, they play good defense. It’s always good to get the first one out of the way.”
With runners on second and third and two outs, O’Sullivan went to the bullpen. As Sandefer walked off the mound, the right-hander received one of the loudest ovations of the afternoon from the home crowd.
Rider starter PJ Craig matched Sandefer for much of the game after surrendering Jones’ leadoff homer.
The right-hander entered the regional having thrown a 104-pitch complete game on May 21 before tossing 83 pitches in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game two days later. Despite the workload, Craig settled in and kept Florida from breaking the game open.
His biggest escape came in the third inning.
After issuing consecutive walks, Craig found himself in a bases-loaded jam with one out. Florida appeared ready to seize control, but the Rider ace forced back-to-back popups on the first pitch of each at-bat to end the threat.
Craig added another milestone in the fifth inning, becoming just the second pitcher in program history to surpass 100 innings in a season.
Still, Florida found ways to manufacture offense.
Nine-hole hitter Hayden Yost continued his recent surge, collecting multiple hits against Craig and scoring a run. The Gators steadily built their advantage, scoring in four separate innings and carrying a 4-0 lead into the eighth.
Then came the collapse.
Ernesto Lugo-Canchola entered in relief and immediately issued a four-pitch walk. Jackson Barberi followed in the eighth inning and also walked the first batter he faced, allowing Rider to capitalize on the free passes and completely change the game.
“I just got done talking to Ernie and Jackson and Josh, just for a brief five minutes,” O’Sullivan said. “I told them they have to put it behind them. I know they’re all disappointed in their performance today, but they’re all available tomorrow and they’ve all had success.”
When Lawson delivered the final blow in the ninth, the Gators had escaped a game that seemed destined to slip away in a season full of blown leads.
Florida’s five-homer performance was just its second NCAA Tournament game with at least five home runs since BBCOR bats were introduced in 2011.
Florida advances in the winner’s bracket and will face the winner of Friday night’s matchup between Troy and Miami on Saturday at 6 p.m. Right-hander Aidan King will start for the Gators.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Baseball