Gator Baseball: Mississippi State Hammers Gators, 12-2, To Even Series

There was no drama Saturday. None was necessary because Mississippi State hitters left the yard five times as the 21st-ranked Bulldogs (19-9, 4-4 SEC) pounded out a 12-2 win over 6th-ranked Florida (15-11, 5-3 SEC) at Condron Family Ballpark.

The Gators will send Jac Caglianone (3-0, 1.77 ERA) to the mound Sunday (1 p.m., SEC Network+) to try to salvage the 3-game series.

Florida’s highlight of the day came in the second inning when Cade Kurland doubled, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a single up the middle by Tanner Garrison. That made it 1-0, the only time Florida led the entire game.

Freshman righty Liam Peterson (1-2, 8.31 ERA) breezed through the first three innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three, but the bottom fell out in the top of the fourth when David Mershon and Dakota Jordan hit back-to-back home runs as part of a 5-run inning. The Bulldogs added three more in fifth off Grayson Smith and three more off Alex Philpott in the sixth to put the game out of reach.

Florida avoided a run-rule in the sixth, pushing across a run on a walk to Colby Shelton, an infield hit by Ty Evans and a single to right center by Kurland.

SEC Baseball

Saturday’s scores: No. 21 Mississippi State (19-9, 4-4 SEC) 12, No. 6 FLORIDA (15-11, 5-3 SEC) 2; No. 1 Arkansas (23-3, 8-1 SEC) 7, No. 8 LSU (20-9, 2-7 SEC) 5; No. 4 Texas A&M (25-3, 6-3 SEC) 10, Auburn (16-11, 1-8 SEC) 9, 12 innings; No. 5 Tennessee (23-5, 4-4 SEC) 16, Georgia (22-5, 4-4 SEC) 11; No. 7 Vanderbilt (23-6, 6-3 SEC) 3, Missouri (10-18, 1-8 SEC) 1; No. 18 South Carolina (21-7, 5-4 SEC) 9, No. 16 Alabama (21-7, 4-5 SEC) 8; No. 24 Kentucky (23-4, 7-1 SEC) 17, Ole Miss (18-10, 3-5 SEC) 9

UF SOFTBALL: Erickson’s 2-run homer lifts Gators past MSU, 7-6

Jocelyn Erickson’s third home run of the weekend, a 2-run blast down the right field line in the top of the seventh inning, gave the 9th-ranked Gators (31-5, 7-2 SEC) a 7-6 win over No. 21 Mississippi State (25-9, 6-6 SEC) Saturday afternoon in Starkville.

It was an uphill battle the entire game for the Gators, who never led until Erickson’s homer in the seventh. The Gators didn’t get on the scoreboard until the fourth when Ava Brown hit a 2-run homer, her eighth of the season,  to slice Mississippi State’s lead to 3-2. The Bulldogs answered with three more in their half of the inning but the Gators countered with two in the fifth to cut the margin to 6-4. In the fifth, Kendra Falby singled followed by a double by Skylar Wallace and a sacrifice fly by Korbe Otis. A ground out by Erickson tightened the game to a 2-run margin.

Finally, in the seventh, Falby reached on a throwing error and came home on a triple to right field by Wallace. One out later, Erickson launched her game-winner, her eighth home run of the season.

Mississippi State pounded out 11 hits off Florida freshman pitchers Keagan Rothrock and Ava Brown. Rothrock (15-3) got the win, but she was knocked out of the circle in the second inning. She came back on to relieve Brown in the fourth and went the rest of the way to earn the win.

In the three-game series, Erickson went 5-11 with three homers, a double and nine RBI.

The Gators will travel to DeLand to face Stetson on Wednesday, then return home Saturday for the first game of their SEC series with LSU.

SEC Softball

Saturday’s scores: No. 9 FLORIDA (31-5, 7-2 SEC) 7, No. 21 Mississippi State (25-9, 6-6 SEC) 6; No. 20 Arkansas (25-8, 4-3 SEC) 3, No. 3 Georgia (28-5, 5-2 SEC) 2; No. 4 Tennessee (28-4, 8-0 SEC) 8, Auburn (15-11, 2-9 SEC) 4; No. 7 LSU (29-4, 8-4 SEC) 9, No. 12 Texas A&M (28-7, 8-4 SEC) 3; No. 13 Missouri (29-7, 4-5 SEC) 7, Villanova (18-13) 0; Kentucky (23-12, 2-7 SEC) 4, No. 14 Alabama (26-8, 3-6 SEC) 3; South Carolina (25-10, 2-6 SEC) 8, Ole Miss (20-13, 3-8 SEC) 3

UF MEN’S SWIMMING: Gators finish third in NCAA Championships

Josh Liendo won his third individual gold medal Saturday by winning the 100 freestyle at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Indianapolis. Liendo also won the 100 butterfly and 50 free gold medals.

Florida finished third in the team standings behind champ Arizona State and runner-up California.

Top 10 team scores: 1. Arizona State 523.5; 2. California 444.5; 3. FLORIDA 378; 4. Indiana 376; 5. North Carolina State 318; 6. Tennessee 231; 7. Texas 189; 8. Stanford 177; 9. Virginia Tech 172; 10. Notre Dame 132

UF LACROSSE: Gators hammer Vanderbilt, 20-5

The Gators improved to 2-0 in American Athletic Conference play Saturday when they clobbered Vanderbilt (6-4, 0-2 AAC), 20-5. It was the 11th consecutive win for the Gators (11-2, 2-0 AAC), who are idle until next Saturday when they face East Carolina in Greenville.

Danielle Pavinelli scored five goals and had two assists to lead Florida’s attack. Ashley Gonzalez had three goals and three assists, while Madison Waters had three goals.

UF WOMEN’S GOLF: Gators finish 2nd in final regular season tournament

The Gators finished second, 11 shots behind tournament champ Auburn in the Liz Murphy Collegiate Classic in Athens, Georgia. Ines Archer shot a 3-day 213 to finish in a 3-way tie for second.

Next up for the Gators is the SEC Championships April 12-16 at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida.

SEC BASKETBALL

Saturday’s score: Alabama (24-11) 89, Clemson (24-11) 82; Alabama wins West Region, advances to Final Four

Sunday’s game: Tennessee (27-8) vs. Purdue (32-5), Midwest Region

SEC in the transfer portal

Alabama: PG Houston Mallette (6-5, 180, JR) from Pepperdine

Arkansas: PG Keon Menifield (6-1, 150, SO); F Denijay Harris (6-7, 200, SR); WG Joseph Pinion (6-6, 195, SO); Josh Cohen (6-10, 220, RSR) from UMass-Amherst

Auburn: CG KD Johnson (6-0, 190, SR)

FLORIDA: SG Riley Kugel (6-5, 206, SO)

Kentucky: SG Adou Thiero (6-6, 200, SO)

LSU: SF Mwani Wilkerson (6-5, 205, SO); PG Cam Carter (6-3, 195, JR) from Kansas State

Mississippi State: PG Andrew Taylor (6-3, 190, SR); SG Trey Fort III (6-4, 195, JR); Kanye Clary (5-11, 192, SO) from Penn State; PF Jaquan Scott (6-8, 230, JR)

Missouri: PF Jacob Crews (6-8, 210, JR), from UT-Martin; SG Curt Lewis (6-5, 215, JR)

Oklahoma: CG Otega Oweh (6-5, 210, SO); PF John Hugley (6-9, 240, JR)

Ole Miss: PF Rashaud Marshall (6-9, 220, FR) to Arkansas State; C Malique Ewin (6-10, 240); Jacob Gazzo (6-8, 215, FR); PF Cameron Barnes (6-9, 195, FR)

South Carolina: PG Meechie Johnson (6-2, 184, JR); CG Ebrima Dibba (6-5, 214, SR)

Texas: SF Alex Anamekwe (6-6, 200, SO)

Vanderbilt: PG Paul Lewis (6-2, 170, SO); C Lee Dort (6-10, 245, SO); SG Tyrin Lawrence (6-4, 200, SR); PF Colin Smith (6-8, 220); SG Jason Rivera-Torres (6-6, 180, FR); PF Jaylen Carey (6-8, 245, FR) from James Madison