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No. 23 Vanderbilt completed its sweep of Florida by winning 11-3 on Sunday. This marks the first time since 2004 that multiple SEC opponents have swept Florida (20-14, 1-11 SEC) at home.
All of the issues that have plagued the Gators this season returned Sunday at Condron Family Ballpark.
Alex Philpott got the start for Florida on Sunday. Only the second this season the usual closer for the Gators started. Philpott got the lead-off man to fly out before Vanderbilt (24-8, 7-5) infielder Mike Mancini worked an eight-pitch walk.
Vanderbilt executed the hit-and-run play perfectly to get runners on first and third with one out. However, they tried to run the same play, but this time the Gators sniffed it out. Riley Nelson popped one up to third base, where Bobby Boser caught it and fired one back to first to double up RJ Austin.
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Brennan Seiber walked the lead-off man. Boser was next up and crushed one to right field, it looked like extra bases, but right fielder Jacob Humphrey made a diving catch to rob Boser.
Colby Shelton then grounded one to first where Nelson was there to make another web gem play for Vanderbilt. Nelson’s great play got the lead runner out at second. Florida executed a hit-and-run when Luke Heyman hit a single into left to put runners on first and second with two outs. But Seiber worked an inning-ending ground ball.
Vandy Boys Strike First
Vanderbilt has had success all series scoring with two outs. It did it again in the second after Brodie Johnston led the inning off with a hit-by-pitch and stole second to put himself in scoring position. With two outs, Jonathan Vastine hit a bloop single into no man’s land in left field for an RBI single and gave the Commodores the 1-0 lead.
It was a quick inning for the Gators in the bottom half of the second. Seiber walked Blake Cyr to start the inning, but got Landon Stripling to ground into a 3-6-3 double play. The web gems carried into the second inning for Vanderbilt, as Johnston made a great diving stop to steal a base hit from Ashton Wilson.
Philpott did allow a two-out single in the third to Mancini, but retired Austin to end the inning. Matthew Shorey took over on the mound for Vanderbilt in the third, marking the end of the day for Seiber.
Seiber’s final line was two innings, one hit, two walks, zero runs or strikeouts.
Hayden Yost started the third inning with a single into right field. He followed that up with a stolen base to get into scoring position with nobody out. Yost moved to third after Justin Nadeau grounded out to the pitcher. Boser followed with a base hit to tie the ballgame at 1-1. Boser advanced to second base after Shorey balked to give Florida another runner in scoring position with one out. Shorey managed to get out of the inning by giving up one run after back-to-back fly outs from Shelton and Heyman.
Vanderbilt Extends Lead in the Fourth
Nelson got the fourth inning started with a lead-off single. Philpott walked the next two hitters to load the bases, which was enough for coach Kevin O’Sullivan to pull him. Caden McDonald was called to get Florida out of the bases-loaded jam. An infield single from Vanderbilt catcher Colin Barczi made it a 2-1 game, followed by back-to-back sacrifice flies from Vastine and Rustan Rigdon to make it 4-1. McDonald struck out Humprey to end the inning.
The final line for Philpott: three innings, four hits, four earned runs, two walks and two strikeouts.
In the bottom of the fourth, Shorey got Brendan Lawson to ground out before coach Tim Corbin pulled him. Luke Guth was the next Commodore to take the mound. Cyr crushed one to center field, but right at Austin for the second out. Stripling was able to get on with a two-out single to extend the inning.
Wilson struck out, but reached first safely on the drop third strike. A two-out walk from Yost loaded the bases for Florida, bringing up Nadeau at the top of the order. Nadeau did not deliver for Florida, striking out on three pitches to end the inning.
Gators Fight Back
McDonald worked a clean 1-2-3 fifth that was headlined by a great over-the-shoulder catch by Boser to end the inning. Connor Fennell took over for Vanderbilt in the bottom of the fifth. Boser followed his defensive play with a lead-off home run to cut the VU lead to 4-2. Shelton decided to get in on the fun, blasting his sixth home run of the year off the scoreboard to make it a 4-3 game. Fenell bounced back after the back-to-back jacks to retire the side and preserve the Vanderbilt lead.
BACK-TO-BACK JACKS #GoGators // SECN pic.twitter.com/TLmSynm3xW
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) April 6, 2025
McDonald worked a clean 1-2-3 sixth inning. In the home half, Fennell got the first two guys out, but walked Yost to extend the inning. An error on a pickoff to first allowed Yost to advance to second. Fennell was pulled soon after and Levi Huesman took over. Huesman wasted no time and struck out Nadeau to end the inning.
McCall Biemiller made his eighth appearance of the season for UF. Unfortunately, Biemiller gave up a hit and a walk to the nine-hole hitter before getting pulled. Jake Clemente was summoned once more to clean up the mess. A bunt single from Humphrey loaded the bases with nobody out.
Commodores Executed, Gators Did Not
While a run did score, Clemente forced a 6-4-3 double play. Clemente was pulled after for Billy Barlow to get out of the inning. Barlow balked in Austin’s at-bat to score Rigdon, making it 6-3. Austin backed it up on the next pitch, with a two-out single. Barlow walked the next batter before striking out Johnston to end the inning.
Boser got the bottom of the seventh started with a lead off single. Shelton hit one to the track, but Austin tracked it down for the first out. After Boser reached second on a wild pitch, Heyman hit a sharp ground ball to shortstop. Boser took off to third, but was cut down for the second out of the inning. Back-to-back two-out singles from Lawson and Cyr loaded the bases for Florida. The threat did not last long as Stripling grounded out to second to end the seventh.
Vanderbilt got the eighth inning started with three straight base hits to load the bases. Rigdon hit a sharp ball back to Lawson who threw it home, cutting the lead runner off for the out. Similarly, Humphrey hit a ball back to Shelton at shortstop who cut the lead runner off at home. Barlow got Mancini to pop out to third to end the inning. Vanderbilt walked away with no runs after loading them up with nobody out.
Commodores Deliver the Final Blow
Vanderbilt sent Tommy O’Rourke out to the mound in the bottom of the eighth. O’Rourke made quick work of Florida, working a 1-2-3 inning. Vanderbilt added on in the top of the ninth with a one-out solo home run from Nelson to make it 7-3. Johnston walked and scored off an RBI single from Barczi, making it 8-3. Barlow was pulled for Christian Rodriguez to get the Gators out of the ninth.
ROOSTER @RustanRigdon launches his first collegiate dinger. pic.twitter.com/8qOSd0B3c9
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) April 6, 2025
Rodriguez allowed a base hit to put runners on the corners before Rigdon hit a three-run home run to make it 11-3. That was his first home run of the year. O’Rourke put the game on ice with a clean ninth inning in helping Vanderbilt sweep Florida in Gainesville for the first time.
Looking Ahead
Florida will try to bounce back on Tuesday in the Sunshine State series finale against No. 4 Florida State, which lost the first game in Tallahassee before tying the series 1-1 with a win in Jacksonville. First pitch at Condron Family Ballpark is scheduled for 7 p.m. You can watch live on ESPN2 or listen live at ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF + WJXL 1010AM.
