Brendan Lawson was struggling not to fall asleep.
With Florida baseball enduring a three-hour delayed start time prior to its 7-6 win against Kentucky, the Gators’ starting shortstop was looking for any way to stay awake.
He first began walking laps in the facility and then hit in the batting cages five times.
But then he became more desperate.
He put on a hoodie and walked around the field signing autographs, then went to the event staff working at the gates, and finally called his dad before making one more trip to the batting cages.
“I killed some time there, but I couldn’t fall asleep,” Lawson said.
The choice to stay awake paid off for him as he helped the Gators overcome a five-run deficit in the bottom of the eighth inning and set up Kyle Jones’ first-ever walk-off hit of his entire career.
Jones’ approach to the delay was much simpler.
“I just kind of lounge and chill,” Jones said. “It’s difficult, but when you step out between those lines, you have to find it in you somewhere and find every way you can to get a win.”
Both Jones and Lawson did indeed find ways to win, as both had been struggling at the plate.
When Lawson stepped in the batter’s box, he was on a 0-for-18 streak as he faced the bases loaded with two outs. Down 1-2 in the count, Lawson drove the ball to left field. Officially, Lawson was credited with a 2-run double, but a mistake by the left fielder allowed another run to score and for him to reach third base.
“Definitely a lot of relief that we could tie the game right there,” Lawson said. “Everyone was pumped. Even from the fans, there were people staying three, four hours extra, and the energy we had in there was some of the best I had seen all year. It was awesome.”
On the next pitch, Kentucky’s relief pitcher threw the ball to the backstop, and Lawson scored the tying run.
“There wasn’t a doubt in anyone’s mind that we were going to take that game there,” Lawson said. “We had all of the momentum. I didn’t really see any panic in anyone, and guys were confident.”
With momentum in Florida’s favor, the Gators again loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth with two outs.
Jones was 0-for-4 in the game, and more importantly, had never hit a walk-off in his life.
The center fielder made good on his moment and drove a ball into left field to record the game-winning hit. Moments later, Jones received a coveted victory shower.
“Honestly, I don’t even know what I was thinking,” Jones said. “All I remember was that I hit first base, and there was a huge cooler of water that splashed right in my face. It was awesome, but no, I never got to experience that. You get to see them on TV all the time.
“It’s been a long day for everybody. We had been at the field for 12 hours. Today was a grind…putting up five runs in the eighth inning is not easy. That shows who we are as a team.”
Reach Florida Gators writer Andrew Abadie at AAbadie@usatodayco.com or on X (formerly Twitter) at @AndrewAbadie. You can also find him on Facebook at Andrew Abadie Sports Reporter or on Instagram @andrewabadie_sports.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: How Florida baseball pulled off its unlikely walk-off victory against Kentucky
Reporting by Andrew Abadie, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
