Gators sweep Dayton; another quality start for Pierce Coppola

Pierce Coppola has 20 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched in 2025 (UAA Photo)

Lefty Pierce Coppola (2-0) delivered his second consecutive quality start Sunday afternoon when he went five innings, allowing three hits while striking out eight as 10th-ranked Florida ran its record to 7-0 with a 12-2 run-rule win over Dayton.

Coppola, who missed two full seasons and most of a third with injuries, threw with purpose once again. He walked only one batter while using 74 pitches, 54 of which were strikes. Dayton touched him for single runs in the fourth and fifth. He gave up a leadoff triple in the fourth, but got out of the inning without allowing another hit. He gave up a leadoff homer in the fifth and a two out double, but snuffed out the rally with a ground ball third out.

"I thought Pierce was really good again,” Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “I thought he was really sharp. Really efficient early on.”

Luke McNeillie pitched the sixth and seventh innings, walking one while striking out three. Freshman Aidan King went the eighth, allowing two hits while striking out one.

The story at the plate was second baseman Cade Kurland, who hit a leadoff homer in the seventh and a 2-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to give the Gators the 10-run cushion they needed for the run-rule. The homers were Kurland’s first two of the season.

Florida busted the game open in the bottom of the fourth. Trailing 1-0, the Gators pushed four across the plate with Ty Evans, Kyle Jones and Colby Shelton hitting run-scoring singles.

In the fifth, Brendan Lawson led off with a double and scored on an Evans single. In the sixth, Lawson singled in Shelton who had hit an opposite field double. Kurland’s first home accounted for the seventh inning run. In the eighth, the Kurland hit a 2-out, 2-run homer to end the game.

Jones, Shelton, Lawson, Evans and Kurland had two hits apiece to pace Florida’s 12-hit attack. For the weekend, Lawson, a true freshman, was 5-10 with a double, a grand slam and eight RBI.

“The game never speeds up on him,” O’Sullivan said of Lawson. “He's under control. He would probably have three or four home runs right now if the wind was a little bit more like it will be as the season goes on. I mean he handles left-handers, he handles, obviously, right-handers and he gives you good at bats. He's got really good strike-zone management, but he's been really impressive."

The Gators will be at Stetson Tuesday night (6:30 p.m., ESPN+) and home against North Florida on Wednesday (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+). Miami comes to town Friday for the annual weekend rivalry. All three games will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

Game notes: Though the first seven games, Florida pitchers have a 1.42 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 57 innings. The Gators have allowed only 33 hits and just 13 walks … Coppola leads the team with 20 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched … The Gators won all three games against Dayton by ten or more runs, the first time that has happened since 2005 against Michigan State … The Gators have hit 12 home runs in seven games and have stolen 25 bases. Last season the Gators stole only 43 bases in 66 games. Colby Shelton led the Gators last year with six steals in eight attempts. Blake Cyr already is 5-5 through seven games … As a team, the Gators are hitting .357 … At the plate, the Gators have more walks (39) than strikeouts (37). A year ago the Gators struck out three times more often than they walked.  

UF SOFTBALL: TOTAL CARNAGE AT SUN DEVIL CLASSIC

The No. 3 Gators (18-1) went 5-0 at the Sun Devil Classic, outscoring their five opponents 62-8. Sunday morning, the Gators put the final touches on the carnage with a record-setting 24-3 win over Iowa State of the Big 12. Through 19 games, the Gators have a team batting average of .393 with 33 home runs hit by 11 different players.

Against Iowa State, the Gators scored nine runs in the first, seven in the second and six in the third. Kendra Falby, who led off the game with a single and a stolen base, had a 2-run single later in the inning. Kenleigh Cahalan and Korbe Otis both hit 2-run doubles in the inning.

In the second, Cahalan led off the inning with a home run, then later in the inning hit a 2-run single. Otis also had a 2-run single in the second.

Jocelyn Erickson had a 2-run double and Mia Williams hit a 2-run homer in the third.

Olivia Miller pitched three innings to get the win with Ava Brown going the last two.  

In the win over Iowa State, Kenleigh Cahalan went 3-4 with a single, a double and her fourth homer of the season for six RBI. Kendra Falby went 4-4 with three RBI and two stolen bases. Korbe Otis went 3-4 with a double and four RBI. Joceylyn Erickson went 3-4 with two doubles and three RBI. Mia Williams hit her fifth homer and drove home two runs. Taylor Shumaker went 1-3 with two RBI.

Falby is hitting an even .500 with a perfect 19-19 in stolen bases. Shumaker is hitting .491 with 10 homers, 33 RBI and 9-9 in stolen bases. Otis is hitting .429 with three homers and 16 RBI. Erickson is hitting .423 with six doubles, two triples, four homers and 25 RBI. Mia Williams is hitting .423 with five homers and 10 RBI. Cahalan is hitting .392 with four homers and 24 RBI and Rylee Holtorf if hitting .387 with two homers and 12 RBI.

Keagan Rothrock has an 8-1 record with a 1.52 ERA while Ava Brown is 4-0 with a 2.03.

The Gators will be home against Florida Gulf Coast Wednesday night. Next weekend the Gators will host Samford, Troy, Western Michigan and Florida A&M in the Florida Invitational, the Gators last weekend series before SEC play begins on the road at Texas A&M.