Florida Gators beat No. 9 Georgia Bulldogs in extra innings

The game was playing out as so many this season. The Florida Gators were getting a solid effort from starter Liam Peterson but trailed 4-1 after seven innings. Friday’s matinee in Athens would play out differently, with the Gators coming back to score two runs in the eighth and three in the tenth inning to win 7-4 and even the series with the No. 9 Georgia Bulldogs.

Luke Heyman stepped to the plate in the ninth inning with three strikeouts to his name but a chance at redemption. Ashton Wilson and Jac Caglianone had singled to start the extra frame before Colby Shelton grounded out. Heyman worked a 2-0 and deposited the third offering over the wall in left field to bust open the game.

UF starter Liam Peterson chucked another scoreless frame in the third, notching a strikeout of Charlie Condon for his third of the day. The freshman retired the side in order in the fourth while fanning another Bulldog.
 
Georgia eventually broke through in the bottom of the fifth to take a 2-1 edge. With two outs, Corey Collins deposited a 1-1 offering over the right-field wall for a two-run homer.
 
The Bulldogs tacked on one more in the sixth, using an RBI single to right from Slate Alford to extend their lead to 3-1. Georgia had a chance to produce a crooked number, but Neely entered a one-out, bases-loaded jam and recorded two straight strikeouts to minimize the damage.
 
The two teams traded runs in the seventh, with Robertson doubling home Dale Thomas with a knock into the left-center gap to bring the Gators within one. The Bulldogs promptly answered as Collins smacked a leadoff homer to left-center in the bottom half to regain a two-run lead at 4-2.
 
Caglianone led off the eighth with a single to right for the Gators, but the next two hitters were retired for the Orange & Blue. With two outs and a full count, Kurland came up clutch with a game-tying, two-run home run to left field for a 4-4 ballgame.

Players of the Game

Cade Kurland: The second baseman was 0-3 before a two-run home run tied the game in the eighth inning.

Luke Heyman: Heyman erased a three-strikeout day with a three-run home run in the top of the 10th, which proved to be the difference in the game.

Brandon Neely: The closer came on late in the game and threw 4.2 innings of one-run relief. Neely would get the final 14 outs of the game on the way to also earning the win.

Notes

• Thursday’s official attendance was 3,483.
• Florida produced its 14th come-from-behind win of the season including the team’s 11th in SEC play.
• Heyman homered for the fifth time in the last four games and for the third time in the series.
  • Heyman now owns a career-high 13 home runs on the year.
  • Heyman’s game two homer gave Florida a 7-4 lead in the 10th inning.
• Florida’s scoring streak of 132-consecutive games is the third-longest in program history (May 27, 2022-present).
• Caglianone extended his on-base streak to 39 straight contests.
  • Caglianone has hit safely in 50 of 53 games while reaching safely in all but one contest.
• Caglianone recorded his 27th multi-hit game and sixth three-hit performance.
• Kurland hit his 11th homer of the season to tie the game in the eighth.
• Robertson picked up his fifth multi-hit game of the season with a 3-for-4 performance.
• Across the team’s last 82 tilts against SEC teams, Florida is 49-33.
  • That includes a 41-30 regular-season mark.
• Florida is now 194-116-2 all-time vs. Georgia including an 87-65 mark in Athens.
  • The Gators are 31-18 against the Bulldogs under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan (12-11 away).
  • Florida has won 17 of the last 29 meetings.

What’s next for the Florida Gators

Florida and Georgia face off in the rubber game on Saturday, scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on SEC Network+. The 2024 regular season finale will