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Saturday’s doubleheader between the Florida Gators and Arkansas Razorbacks yielded mixed results for both squads. While the Gators managed to avoid the sweep, they still dropped their fourth consecutive SEC series.
Arkansas squeezed by in a 6-5 win in the first game, while Florida bounced back with a 9-5 win in the series finale. It was decided Friday to play the doubleheader because of expected inclement weather Sunday in Fayetteville, Ark.
Redshirt junior Ryan Slater allowed three hits, one walk and four runs through 1.1 innings in the opening contest en route to his second loss of the season.
On the flip side, junior Jac Caglianone guided the Gators (22-21, 9-12 SEC) to a win in Game 2. He pitched four innings, finishing with a line of six hits, three walks and three runs. He also struck out four batters. Redshirt freshman Jake Clemente (2-0) went on to secure the win by pitching two scoreless innings.
Caglianone made his presence felt in the batter’s box as well. The Florida two-way star knocked out a fourth-inning grand slam to power his squad to their only win of the series. Senior Armando Albert and redshirt sophomore Michael Robertson chipped in with a pair of RBI singles, while junior Ty Evans blasted a sixth-inning two-run moon shot to all but put the final game of the weekend on ice.
Tight Competition All Afternoon Long
The squads kept it close throughout the first matchup. Entering the seventh inning with the score at 1-1, the Gators broke through with a three-run frame to take their first lead of the ballgame.
Not to be outdone, however, the Razorbacks (37-7, 16-5) responded with a five-run inning, courtesy of two-run home runs from sophomore Wehiwa Aloy and senior Peyton Holt.
Freshman Hayden Yost did his part in keeping UF afloat, finishing with a 3-for-3 performance and scoring on an error in the eighth inning to cut into Arkansas’ lead. The Razorbacks still came away with their second one-run win of the series.
Now on the brink of yet another series sweep, the Gators came back out swinging in Game 2. Florida drove in six runs in the fourth inning alone, four of which came on Caglianone’s 26th home run of the season that extended his hitting and on-base streaks to 29 and 22 games, respectively.
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Even after Razorbacks junior Peyton Stovall responded with a two-RBI double in the bottom of the frame, the Gators were well in control of this game’s momentum. Florida’s bullpen combined to keep the Razorbacks at bay and end their 27-game winning streak at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Up Next
Florida will return to Condron Ballpark on Tuesday to host the Florida Atlantic Owls. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+, ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF with first pitch set for 4 p.m.
