Editor’s note: Check back later for an updated version of this story.<\/p>\n
GAINESVILLE, Fla. \u2014 If you like late-inning drama with your Gators postseason baseball, you must have loved what went down on Friday afternoon at Condron Ballpark.<\/p>\n
The Gators pulled off a whiplash 8-7 victory to defeat Rider in the first game of the Gainesville Regional. Shortstop Brendan Lawson<\/a> played hero, leading off the bottom of the ninth with a walk-off home run.<\/p>\n The No. 1-seed Gators appeared on the way to a ho-hum victory until Rider scored six runs in the top of eight inning to go up 6-4. The big swing was a game-tying grand slam from Anthony Paskell off UF reliever Jackson Barberi<\/a>.\u00a0The Broncs were not done, as Nick Shuhet clubbed a two-run homer off Joshua Whritenour<\/a> to make it 6-4.<\/p>\n The Gators got back up quickly, with Caden McDonald<\/a> leading off the bottom of the inning with a home run, and after a triple by Karson Bowen<\/a> put the tying run at third, Cade Kurland<\/a> drilled a two-run, go-ahead homer to right-center to put the Gators back up, 7-6.<\/p>\n But it wasn’t over. Rider tied the game in the top of the ninth on a solo homer by No. 9 hitter Matt Leahy, his first home run of the season.<\/p>\n That set the stage for Florida’s ninth-inning magic, as Lawson stepped to the plate and sent the home crowd home happy. UP NEXT
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\nThe Gators face the winner of Friday night’s Miami-Troy game on Saturday at 6 p.m. The loser of the Miami-Troy game plays Rider at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
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\nNOTABLES
\n\u00a0(Notes to be updated after press conference)
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\n\u2014 Sullivan Bortner contributed to this report.
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