Gators Even Series with LSU on Caglianone's 11th Inning HR

Jac Caglianone hit a 2-run homer in the top of the 11th inning Saturday evening to lead the 6th-ranked Gators (13-9, 3-2 SEC) to a 6-4 win over 5th-ranked LSU (19-5, 2-3 SEC) before a crowd of 12,892 at Alex Box Stadium. Caglianone’s 10th homer of the season followed a 1-out single to right field by Ty Evans, his third hit of the game.   

Photo credit UAA

“They tried to throw a fastball by him (Caglianone) and he jumped all over it,” Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan explained. The homer was the third of the week for Caglianone.

Florida trailed LSU 4-2 heading into the eighth, but a leadoff double by Evans and a single by Caglianone put runners on first and third with nobody out. Two outs later, the Tigers were on the verge of getting out of the inning, but a third-strike wild pitch brought in Evans from third to make it a 1-run game.  

In the Florida ninth, a two-out single to center field by Evans scored pinch-runner Michael Robertson from second base to tie the game at 4-4. That brought on Brandon Neely to set down the Tigers 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning.

Ryan Slater came on to pitch the 10th and 11th for the Gators. He set the Tigers down in order in the 10th and gave up a two-out single in the 11th before inducing a ground out to end the game.

Freshman Liam Peterson was spotted a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth when the Gators scored on a bases loaded double play and an RBI single by Dale Thomas. Peterson gave up single runs in the bottom of the fourth and in the fifth before he was relieved with one out by Frank Menendez. Menendez (1 inning, 1 strikeout), Luke McNellie (2-1/3 innings, 2 hits, 1 strikeout) and Grayson Smith (1/3 inning) shut down LSU’s potent offense before Neely and Slater shut down the Tigers the rest of the way.

After dropping a 6-1 decision to LSU Friday night, O’Sullivan shuffled his lineup, moving Colby Shelton to the leadoff with Evans moving up to second and Caglianone dropping to third. Tyler Shelnut moved to cleanup with usual leadoff Cade Kurland dropping down to sixth. Evans and Caglianone combined to go 5-11 with three RBI and Kurland responded with two hits.

“Maybe moving some guys around in the lineup kind of changed some things around a little bit,” O’Sullivan said.

Besides the clutch hitting of Evans and Caglianone, the story of the game was the pitching of the freshmen out of the bullpen – Menendez, McNellie and Smith.   

“I've been saying all along that our young freshmen are getting better,” O’Sullivan said. “Hopefully, this is another step in the right direction."

The Gators will send Caglianone (2-0, 1.76 ERA) to the mound today (3 p.m., SEC Network) to try to win the series.

UF SOFTBALL: Gators run-rule Kentucky (again)

If the Kentucky Wildcats never see Reagan Walsh again it will be too soon. Through two games this weekend, Walsh has hit here 11th and 12th home runs while driving home eight to lead the Gators (28-4, 4-1 SEC) to a pair of run-rule wins over the Wildcats (20-10, 0-5 SEC). Friday night, the Gators trounced Kentucky 10-2 behind a 9-run third inning highlighted by a Walsh grand slam. Saturday, Walsh hit a 2-run homer and Baylee Goddard hit a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth to give the Gators a 9-1 margin for another run-rule win.

Getting it done in the circle for the Gators was the two freshmen. Keagan Rothrock (13-3) gave up five hits for the win Friday and Ava Brown (12-1) got the win Saturday with a 1-hitter.

Friday, Korbe Otis went 3-3 with four RBI and freshmen Mia Williams and Ariel Kowalewski hit home runs. Saturday, Williams homered once again.

The Gators have now won 23 games by run-rule, a school record breaking the old mark of 22 held jointly by the 2009 and 2011 Florida teams.

The Gators and Wildcats will conclude their series today at noon (ESPN2).

SEC BASKETBALL

Saturday’s score: Tennessee (26-8) 62, Texas (21-13) 58, Midwest Region

Sunday’s games: Grand Canyon (30-4) vs. Alabama (22-11), West Region; Texas A&M (21-14) vs. Houston (31-4); South Region

Tennessee: The Vols punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 with their win over Texas. The Vols will face Creighton (25-9) in Detroit next Friday night.

NIT: Georgia (18-16) vs. Wake Forest (21-13)

SEC in the basketball 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)

LSU: SF Mwani Wilkerson (6-5, 205, SO)

Mississippi State: PG Andrew Taylor (6-3, 190, SR)

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

Ole Miss: PF Rashaud Marshall (6-9, 220, FR) to Arkansas State; C Malique Ewin (6-10, 240)

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)

UF WOMEN’S SWIMMING: Gators finish third at NCAA Championships

Virginia, led by Gretchen and Alex Walsh, proved too much for the rest of the field at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Athens, Georgia. Capturing their fourth straight NCAA title, the Cavaliers scored 527.5 points to run away with the event. The Gators came home in third with 364 points.

Bella Sims won the 500 and 200 free gold medals plus swam a leg on Florida’s gold medal 400 medley relay team.

Top 10 finishers: 1. Virginia 527.5; 2. Texas 441; 3. FLORIDA 364; 4. Tennessee 277; 5. Stanford 250; 6. Louisville 212; 7. Indiana 206; 8. Southern California 200; 9. (Tie) Ohio State and North Carolina State 162

UF GYMNASTICS: Gators finish fourth at SEC meet

The 4th-ranked Gators already owned the Southeastern Conference championship heading into Saturday night’s SEC Championship meet in New Orleans so a fourth place finish shouldn’t have much of an effect on seeing for the NCAA championships which begin April 4. The Gators will be hosting a regional this year.

Saturday, LSU won the meet with a 198.075 score, the first time LSU has won since the last time it was held in New Orleans (2019). Alabama followed in second (197.750) with Kentucky (197.600) taking third and UF scoring a season low 197.300.

Leanne Wong, who finished the meet with a 9.925 on bars, led the Gators with a 39.600 all-around score while Victoria Nguyen had a 39.525.  

“We had too many mistakes tonight,” Florida coach Jenny Rowland said. “It was a solid performance but not a performance I know the Gators are capable of.  At the same time, it isn’t an end all, be all. We have two weeks to get prepared for our regional championships, which is in Gainesville.  We are going to keep going into the gym day in and day out and getting a little bit better.” 

UF LACROSSE: Gators win 9th consecutive game

The 11th-ranked Gators (9-2, 1-0 American Athletic Conference) opened conference play Saturday with a 19-4 win over Old Dominion. It was the ninth straight win for the Gators, who will be home Wednesday to face Liberty.

Maggi Hall with five goals and two assists and Danielle Pavinelli with four goals and two assists led Florida’s attack against ODU.