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Florida outscores Gamecocks 30-3 on Sunday to sweep series

On3 imageby: Zach Abolverdi05/05/25ZachAbolverdi
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Photo by @GatorsBB/UAA Communications

The Florida Gators dominated Sunday’s doubleheader against South Carolina, outscoring the Gamecocks 30-3 to sweep the series. It marked the fourth-straight series win for UF (33-16, 11-13 SEC).

The Gators clinched the series with a whopping 22-3 victory in Game 2, exploding in the ninth with 11 runs — their most in an inning this season. Freshman Brendan Lawson brought the score to its final tally with a grand slam to left field.

Florida also scored five runs in the eighth inning and three more in the fourth.

“The big innings, usually the winning team scores more runs in one inning then the losing team does throughout all nine,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. ‘And we had three in the fourth, five in the eighth and 11 runs in the ninth.”

Luke Heyman also left the yard twice in Game 2 after homering in the series-opening win at South Carolina. He’s now up to 13 dingers, which is tied for second on the team, and has 10 in SEC play. Florida shut out South Carolina 8-0 in Game 3.

Florida pounded out 27 hits in 16 innings on Sunday. Hayden Yost (3-for-5, 1-for-2) produced a four-hit day and homered in the finale. Ty Evans (2-for-4, 1-for-4) also left the yard in game three en route to four RBI and runs apiece on the day.

UF ace Liam Peterson got the start in Game 2 after throwing just five pitches in the series opener, which was delayed three-plus hours due to lightning. Peterson (8-2) logged the victory with three runs allowed (two earned) on three hits and four walks while striking out two in 3.1 innings. Jake Clemente threw two shutout, no-hit relief frames in the seventh and eighth.

Making his first appearance since March 1, UF pitcher Pierce Coppola started Game 3. He retired the first two batters and, after two walks, threw another strikeout to complete one scoreless inning. Jackson Barberi took the mound in the second and logged his second victory behind 3.1 scoreless relief frames and four Ks. Christian Rodriguez nailed down his first-career save with 2.2 shutout, one-hit innings.

“I thought that Liam did what he needed to do,” O’Sullivan said. “He wasn’t as sharp as he’d like to be today, but he did what he needed to do. Obviously, Jake came in out of the pen. Really didn’t want to use him in the first game ’cause we had a lead there, but with the tying run at the plate in the seventh, we really weren’t left with any choice. And then obviously the big ninth inning where we scored 11 runs. (Liam) got us off to a really good start in the first game.”

By sweeping South Carolina (26-23, 5-19 SEC), the Gators reclaimed the lead in the all-time series (57-56) for the first time since March 26, 2021. Florida posted its first road SEC sweep since May 6-8, 2022 at Mississippi State and swept South Carolina in Columbia for the first time in 29 years – since May 3-5, 1996.

The Gators have now won 13 of their last 15 games overall and 10 of 12 in SEC play. The team carries a four-game winning streak into the final midweek contest of the season at home on Tuesday vs. USF.

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