Gators Sweep Stetson in Fall Doubleheader

Gabriela Vitale November 7, 2022 Baseball, College Baseball, Gators Baseball, Gators Sports, NCAA 603 Views

The Gators baseball team brought out the brooms on Sunday, sweeping Stetson in two exhibitions games 7-6 and 5-1.

Game One | Florida 7, Stetson 6

Brandon Sproat got the start on the mound for the Gators with Austin Amaral on the bump for Stetson. Sproat and Amaral both threw scoreless innings in their two innings on the mound and Sproat gave up one hit across his two frames and struck out four.

Jac Caglianone took over on the mound for the Gators in the third. He only recorded one out before a rain delay cut his outing short.

A long delay sent Chris Arroyo to the mound for Florida, recording the last two outs to end the top of the third.

Bats Come Alive

Tyler Shelnut led off the bottom half of the third with a stand up double, sparking a three run inning for the Gators. Michael Robertson’s infield single sent Shelnut to third and Wyatt Langford’s RBI double plated Shelnut. Back-to-back RBI singles from Caglianone and Josh Rivera sent home the final two runs of the inning, giving the Gators a 3-0 lead.

However, Stetson responded with a Drew Wyers grand slam, putting the Hatters ahead 4-3.

But the Gators only needed one swing of the bat to answer. Dale Thomas, a junior transfer from Coastal Carolina, crushed a home run in the fourth to tie the ballgame at four. Later in the sixth, another power swing by Ty Evans sent the ball over the fence, putting Florida on top 5-4.

After two walks and a single by Stetson in the eighth, Jayden Hinton’s RBI single sent in two runners to reclaim the lead 6-5. Brandon Neely was handed the ball in relief of Philip Abner and he got out of the jam for the Gators.

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Thomas began the bottom half of the eighth working a walk and advancing to second on a passed ball. Robertson also walked and advanced to third on a wild pitch. An RBI fielders choice by Langford and an RBI single by Caglianone sent home the final two runs of the game. In a back-and-forth affair, the Gators took game one 7-6.

Neely pitched 1 1/3 scoreless frames with two strikeouts to close the game.

Sproat, Caglianone, Arroyo, Ryan Slater, Abner and Brandon Neeley all saw time on the mound for Florida.

Slater earned the win, tossing 2 1/3 shutout innings while Jason Gonzalez was handed the loss after allowing one earned run on two hits and one walk.

Game Two | Florida 5, Stetson 1

Hurston Waldrep took the bump to start game two and had Condron Ballpark speechless in his start. He went six up and six down, striking out all six batters faced in his two innings of work. Additionally, Waldrep pitched an immaculate inning in his second inning of work.

The Gators once again crossed the plate first on a Shelnut RBI single in the bottom of the second, plating Caglianone to lead 1-0. Stetson responded in their half of the third, tying the game 1-1.

Cade Fisher, Nick Ficarrotta, Yoel Tejeda Jr. and Blake Purnell would all see time on the mound until the Gators finished the game in the seventh.

Shelnut sparked a rally of hits, leading off the last half with a single. BT Riopelle came up next and worked a walk and Shelnut advanced to third on a wild pitch.

Then, a throwing error by Stetson sent Shelnut across the plate to wrap up the Gators 2-1 win.

However, fall exhibition games play all three outs in the seventh, so Florida had one more out left in their bottom half and Lastres didn’t put it to waste. He ripped a bases clearing RBI double to finish the combined 16-inning doubleheader.

Purnell was awarded the win while Cooper Smith for Stetson had the loss.

Florida up next

The Gators will be wrapping up the fall with their Orange & Blue World Series on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

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