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The No. 10 Florida Gators capped a dominant weekend Sunday with a 12-2 run-rule victory against the Dayton Flyers at Condron Family Ballpark.
With each of the three wins against Dayton (2-5) coming by 10 or more runs, Florida (7-0) accomplished a feat last achieved in March 2005 against Michigan State. Florida swept a series with three run-rule wins for the first time in team history.
SUNDAY SERIES S𝐖𝐖𝐖EEP! ✅✅✅#GatorsWin | #GoGators
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— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) February 23, 2025
Coppola Set Tone
Florida sent left-hander Pierce Coppola wasted no time making an impact. Coppola (2-0) mowed through the Flyers’ lineup, striking out eight across five innings while allowing three hits and two runs. The Gators’ relentless offense pressured Dayton’s pitching staff all afternoon.
After allowing a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and a solo home run in the fifth, Coppola’s day was done with the Gators holding a 4-2 lead. The bullpen took it from there, as Luke McNeillie and Aidan King combined for three shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four.
“I thought Pierce was really good again,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “I thought he was really sharp. Really efficient, early on . . . and then, McNeillie came in was really good and King was good as well.”
Coppola up to 4️⃣Ks 🔥#GoGators // 📺 https://t.co/0ddGKgFqd9 pic.twitter.com/yygFo9LxNA
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) February 23, 2025
Florida batters found their rhythm in the middle innings. After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the fourth, Ty Evans tied the game with an RBI single. Kyle Jones followed with another RBI single to give the Gators the lead. After two wild pitches and a Colby Shelton RBI single, the advantage was 4-1 by the end of the fourth.
In the fifth, Evans drove in another run with a single before Cade Kurland delivered the knockout blow in the seventh with a two-run homer. Kurland launched another two-run blast in the eighth to end the game via the run rule.
“It’s important that when you’re in that position that you have to stay in the game because your number could get called at any point,” Kurland said. “And sure enough, when my number got called I went straight from the dugout to the box and there’s not much you do, just simplify it and just try to smash a ball.”
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Florida’s offense was unstoppable throughout the series, racking up 36 runs on 31 hits. The pitching staff was equally dominant, allowing just four total runs while racking up 34 strikeouts. The pitching staff has had only four of the 57 innings played this season to not have a strikeout.
Up Next
The Gators play at Stetson (4-3) on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+ and 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF at 6:25 p.m.) before hosting North Florida (6-2) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (SEC Network+ and 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF at 6:25 p.m.).
