Gators weather early tropical depression, down Miami 10-4

Untitled designby:Nick de la Torre•03/03/23•

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 22 Miami Hurricanes came into Gainesville and brought 25-MPH gusts of wind with them. Yohandy Morales’ monstrous first inning home run didn’t need any help from the wind but that would be most of what the Canes could offer. The Gators used a solid two-pitcher performance and four long balls to weather the storm and take game one on Friday night.

“Brandon [Sproat] was able to flip the switch immediately,” Kevin O’Sullivan said of his starter on Friday. “I said in the post-game on the radio, that his level of maturity is just so much different than it was a year ago. But I also say that our team, when they came off the field in the bottom of the first, they had a lot of energy.”

Nine Gators collected hits in the victory, led by Wyatt Langford, who picked up two home runs in a 3-5 night.

The Hurricanes (7-3) jumped on the Gators (9-2) in the top of the first, with Yohandy Morales connecting for a three-run home run to left-center field. Langford quickly got one run back in the bottom half, using his fourth big fly of the year to make it a 3-1 ballgame.

Sproat settled in after the opening frame, blanking the Canes in the second and third while increasing his strikeout total to five. Those zeros allowed the Gators to knot up the game in the bottom of the third. A pair of singles off the bats of BT Riopelle and Ty Evans squared the Gators and Canes up.

Freshman Kade Kurland unloaded on a two-run shot to left field for his fifth homer of the year. That brought the score to its final tally of 10-4.

Sproat (3-0) earned the victory, picking up the quality start with four runs (three earned) allowed across six innings of work. He scattered four hits and four walks while striking out nine. Freshman Cade Fisher earned a three-inning save, the first of his career.

Notes

  • Florida welcomed a crowd of 8,081 fans on Friday night, marking the second-largest crowd in Condron Family Ballpark history.
    • The 1,970 students in attendance marked a new program record.
  • Langford notched his first multi-homer game of the season including the sixth of his career.
  • Schiekofer hit his first home run as a Gator.
  • Florida held Miami to a season-low four hits, including just one after the first inning.
  • Dating back to April 29 of last season when he took over the Friday night role vs. Kentucky, Sproat has made nine starts and is 8-0 with a 2.56 ERA, 58 strikeouts, and 20 walks across 56 1/3 innings – and Florida is 9-0.
    • Sproat has pitched at least five innings with three earned runs or fewer in every outing.
  • Kurland extended his team-leading hitting streak to nine games, while Josh Rivera’s eight-game streak was snapped.
  • Florida’s run differential of plus-73 is the team’s best through 11 games since the 2003 season.
  • The Gators have scored in 57 of 89 batted innings this season (64.0%).
  • Florida has scored in five or more innings in nine of 11 games.
  • For the 10th time in 11 games this year, the Gators recorded double-digit hits.
    • Florida has posted nine or more hits in every game this season.
  • The Gators have 143 hits through 11 games (13.0 hits/game).
  • The Gators improve to 131-133-1 all-time vs. Miami including 78-50-1 at home.
    • Florida is 38-16 in the series under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan featuring a 20-8 mark in home games.
    • UF has won 19 of the last 25 meetings.

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