Listen to Florida baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan speak on the Gainesville Regional
Florida baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan addressed the media prior to the Gainesville Regional
It was as dramatic of a final two innings that postseason baseball could entail.
Luckily for the Gators, Florida baseball ended on top as Brendan Lawson hit a walk-off home run to help the Gators pull out an 8-7 win over Rider in the Gainesville Regional on Friday, May 29.
The final two innings featured a combined six home runs from both programs. Lawson’s final long ball was Florida’s fifth of the game.
Florida (40-19) got on the board quick to the start the game after Kyle Jones hit a home run on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the first inning.
The Gators later plated a run in the fourth inning with a sac fly by Landon Stripling. Jones then delivered an RBI single in the fifth inning, followed by Stripling hitting a solo homer in the sixth to build Florida’s 4-0 lead.
Rider (33-19) then flipped the game in the eighth inning with a two-out grand slam off and then a 2-run homer to take a 6-4 lead.
Florida managed to respond in the bottom of the frame with 2-run home to give UF a brief 7-6 lead.
Yet Rider hit another long ball in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game, which then set up Lawson’s late heroics.
Here’s what happened in Florida baseball’s win over Rider:
Whritenour gives up a solo home run with one out in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game at 7-7.
The Gators reclaim the lead after Caden McDonald hit a solo home run and later followed by Cade Kurland’s 2-run homer to take a 7-6 lead.
Rider has taken a 6-4 lead over Florida in the top of the eighth inning. With two outs and full count, Anthony Paskell hits a grand slam off reliever Jackson Barberi to tie the game. Joshua Whritenour then gave up a 2-run homer before the inning ended.
Landon Stripling hits a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to build Florida’s lead over Rider to 4-0. That’s his sixth homer of the season.
Russell Sandefer exits the game with two outs in the sixth inning. His final line features him giving up only two hits, one walks and recording five strikeouts in 87 pitches. Caden McDonald gets the final out of the inning as he preserves the Gators’ 3-0 lead over Rider.
The Gators add another run after Kyle Jones delivers an RBI single to extend UF’s lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Landon Stripling drives in Caden McDonald with a sac fly to extend Florida’s lead to 2-0 over Rider.
In four innings of work, Russell Sandefer has allowed one hit and struck out four in 57 pitches. UF still holds a 1-0 lead over Rider.
Florida loaded the bases with one out, but the #Gators fly out to the infield in back-to-back at-bats. The Gators hold a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.
The Gators jump out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. On the first pitch of the inning, Kyle Jones goes yard that flies over the wall in left center.
- CF Kyle Jones
- SS Brendan Lawson
- LF Blake Cyr
- 3B Ethan Surowiec
- DH Caden McDonald
- C Karson Bowen
- 1B Landon Stripling
- 2B Cade Kurland
- RF Hayden Yost
On the mound is Russell Sandefer.
How to watch Florida baseball vs Rider
Florida vs Rider will be streamed on ESPN+. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. E.T.
Stream Florida baseball vs Rider
Florida baseball vs Rider projected starters
RHP Russell Sandefer (4.38 ERA, 3-2) vs PJ Craig (3.39 ERA, 9-3)
Florida baseball upcoming schedule
- NCAA Regionals, May 29-June 1
- NCAA Super Regionals, June 5-8
- College World Series, June 12-22
Reach Florida Gators writer Andrew Abadie at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) at @AndrewAbadie. You can also find him on Facebook at Andrew Abadie Sports Reporter or on Instagram @andrewabadie_sports.
