Florida relief pitcher Brandon Neely shut down Oklahoma State on Sunday in the NCAA Stillwater Regional. [Cyndi Chambers/ Gainesville Sun]

NCAA Baseball Stillwater Regional: Florida Forces Game 7

Florida defeated Oklahoma State 5-2 Sunday night to force a Game 7 in the Stillwater (Okla.) Regional of the NCAA Tournament after eliminating Nebraska earlier in the day at O’Brate Stadium.

Gators (31-28) reliever Brandon Neely shut down No. 11 national seed OSU (42-17) by striking out a career-high 11 batters after entering the fourth inning and Colby Shelton provided a three-run home run to send the teams to a winner-take-all game at 3 p.m. ET Monday (ESPNU, ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF, WJXL 1010-AM in Jacksonville). The winner advances to the Super Regional against Clemson (44-14), the winner of its own regional.

Cowboys Take Lead

The Cowboys, who defeated the region three seed Gators 7-1 on Saturday, took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Nolan Schubart single and a run-scoring double by Zach Ehrhard.

Game 6 Box Score

Florida, which had to withstand a two-hour weather delay in the middle of its 17-11 win over Nebraska earlier in the day, tied the score in the fourth when Ashton Wilson singled, stole second, advanced to third on a sacrifice fly and scored on a wild pitch. When Carson Benge’s pitch in the dirt bounced in front of home plate, Wilson sprinted toward home, sliding in just ahead of Benge’s tag. The pitcher had grabbed the ball before diving to make the late tag.

OSU took a 2-1 lead in the fourth, but Neely and center fielder Michael Robertson prevented further damage. Neely came in after two other relievers couldn’t stop the Cowboys and struck out one. Schubart’s line drive into the right-center field gap was caught on a diving play by Robertson.

Neely got out of trouble in the fifth after he walked two and a sac bunt put runners on second and third. But Neely struck out the next two batters to leave the score at 2-1.

Gators Take Lead For Good

The Gators grabbed their first lead in two games against the Cowboys with four runs in the sixth inning. Jac Caglianone walked and moved to second on Wilson’s single, setting the stage for Shelton’s three-run blast over the right field fence.

Luke Heyman and Tyler Shelnut both singled and advanced on Dale Thomas’ sac bunt. Heyman scored on a wild pitch.

Neely and OSU reliever Gabe Davis were in control the rest of the way. Neely (3-4) tossed 5 ⅔ innings of one-hit ball on 104 pitches.

Wilson finished with three hits, scored two runs and stole a base for the Gators.

Stillwater Regional

 

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