Miami Hurricanes baseball can't hold early 3-0 lead, drops game 1 to Florida, 10-4

On3 imageby:Miami Hurricanes Athletics03/03/23

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The 22nd-ranked University of Miami baseball team dropped the series opener to the sixth-ranked Florida Gators, 10-4, Friday evening at Condron Family Ballpark.

“We didn’t have an answer for their offense,” Miami head coach Gino DiMare said. “It seemed like every ball they hit was hard. To me, they were too comfortable at the plate. We have to do a better job of locating pitches. We have to do a better job of getting ahead. The wind was blowing out and they got the ball up in the air.”

Miami (7-3) grabbed an early 3-0 lead behind Yohandy Morales’ five homer of the season, but the Gators (9-2) responded in a hurry.

Florida junior left fielder Wyatt Langford socked a solo shot in the bottom of the first before the hometown team evened the score with a pair of RBI singles in the third.

The Gators tacked on two more tallies in the fourth to extend their lead to 5-3.

Miami shortstop Dominic Pitelli pulled the visitors within one with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, but the Hurricanes wouldn’t get any closer.

Florida homered three times—twice in the sixth and once in the eighth—pushing its cushion to 10-4.

After Morales’ 453-foot no-doubter, Florida starter Brandon Sproat (3-0) settled down. The fourth-year right-hander yielded only one more hit across six-innings of work, striking out nine Hurricanes. 

Freshman left-handed hurler Cade Fisher was credited with his first career save after pitching three hitless frames to secure the win for the Gators.

Miami starter Gage Ziehl (1-2) picked up the loss, following his second eight-strikeout performance. Ziehl went five innings and surrendered six runs on nine hits.

The Hurricanes will look to even the series Saturday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Condron Family Ballpark.

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