Florida took both games of a straight doubleheader Saturday, winning the second game, 6-1, over the UAB Blazers.
Cooper Walls went 5 1/3 innings, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk, and got help from the offense early. Brendan Lawson bashed his first home run of the season to make it a 2-0 lead, and Ethan Surowiec scored later in the inning. Both teams stayed quiet after that until the sixth inning.
UAB finally got to Walls with a leadoff single and one-out double, but Ernest Lugo-Canchola took over after that and was perfect through 2 2/3 innings. Florida answered back immediately, scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth, and freshman Cash Strayer added an insurance run in the eighth with his first home run.
Redshirt freshman Joshua Whritenour closed out the game, flashing some impressive velocity in the ninth.
Florida takes the series after dropping the first game on Friday night.
Standout performances
Jones: 2-4, R, 2 2B, K
Strayer: 2-4, R, RBI, 2B, HR, 0 K
Lawson: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, HR
Walls: W (1-0), 5.1 IP, 4 H, R, ER, BB, 4 K (79 pitches, 54 strikes)
Lugo-Canchola: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (29 pitches, 21 strikes)
FINAL: Florida 6, UAB 1
Joshua Whritenour closed out the game for Florida. His first pitch was a 99-mph heater, and he struck out Lugo-Canchola to start things off. Beaver turned on a fatball for a line-drive single to right, but Merrick grounded into a double play to end the game. Gators take the series.
Strayer the slayer goes oppo taco (E8: UF 6, UAB 1)
It looked like another 1-2-3 half inning was on its way, but then Strayer went deep to the opposite field in left. He’s been Florida’s best freshman bat so far, with five hits between both games in this doubleheader.
Lugo-Canchola stays perfect (M8: UF 5, UAB 1)
Lugo-Canchola added it eight outs ina row with a second straight 1-2-3 frame. Everyone is just swinging into outs now. Fatigue may be a factor. Roberts grounded out, and Hall and Dupuy flew out.
Gators go down in order (E7: UF 5, UAB 1)
So much for that momentum… Florida went down in order. Myers popped up, Jones struck out swinging and Lawson flew out to left. Nothing too exciting happened in this inning,m although the first out was bobbled a few times.
Lugo-Canchola cruising (M7: UF 5, UAB 1)
Lugo-Canchola went 1-2-3 in the seventh, keeping the momentum with Florida after a two-run sixth. He struck out Waugh and Piezynski to bookend the inning, inducing a Helms flyout in between.
Gators answer with runs (E6: UF 5, UAB 1)
Surowiec led off the bottom of the sixth with a double off the base of the wall in left-center, and Strayer moved him to third on a well-executed groundout to the right side of the infield. Blake Cyr was hit on the helmet for ball four, setting up RBI opportunities for Stanford and Schawarz. Both delivered in different ways.
Stanford grounded out to third, with the only play being to first base — that’s where Strayer’s ball to the right side comes into play — and Schwarz singled up the middle, to score Cyr. Schwarz was tagged out at second, but he still got the job done.
Blazers get on the board (M6: UF 3, UAB 1)
Leadoff baserunners are like kryptonite to pitchers who are cruising through a start, and Cooper Walls isn’t an exception to that rule. A leadoff single from Hall turned into a run after he stole second and Head doubled down the left field line. Florida challenged the call at second after it looked like Kurland got the tag down in time, but he missed Hall’s back and got his foot after the hand touched the base. Walls left the game after the double with one out in the inning, a strikeout on Dupuy.
Walls’ final line: 5.1 IP, 4 H, R, ER, BB, 4 K (79 pitches, 54 strikes)
Ernesto Lugo-Canchola made his Gator debut and prevented the runner on second from scoring. Head made it to third on an unassisted out back to the pitcher. Surowiec didn’t play it well, charging the ball that Lugo-Chanchola fielded, but the pitcher made the tag for out No. 2. A Jake Merrick flyout ended the threat. Merrick pinch hit for Cheeseman, who has played well all weekend.
Jones stranded after another double (E5: UF 3, UAB 0)
Jones hit his fifth double of the weekend after Myers grounded out to open the bottom of the fifth. Konner Keplinger took over for Ingram after that, giving Florida its first look at a lefty this year. Keplinger hit Lawson in the middle of the back with a breaking ball that never broke. The Gators had something brewing, but Kurland hit into a 9-3 double play with the runners in motion on a full count. Another blown opportunity.
Walls winning the pitcher’s duel (M5: UF 3, UAB 0)
A couple of bobbled infield balls made things interesting, but Florida left the fifth without giving up a run. After Waugh grounded out to second, Helms reached on an error from Lawson, who bobbled the ball and threw it low to Surowiec. Pierzynski struck out looking on a beautiful frame job from Stanford behind the plate, and then Roberts hit into a fielder’s choice. Helms would have been safe at second if he slid, but Kurland collected another slightly booted ball to make the quick throw to Lawson.
Gators struggling to string hits together (E4: UF 3, UAB 0)
Florida got a baserunner, thanks to Stanford singling through the 5-6 hole, but he couldn’t score. Cyr grounded out to open the frame, and Schwarz grounded into an inning-ending double play. After jumping on Ingram early, Florida has had some lazy at-bats that have led to no runs over the next three innings.
Walls retires the side in order (M4: UF 3, UAB 0)
Walls responded with a 1-2-3 inning of his own, inducing three fly outs. The second one went to the warning track in right, but Strayer made a nice play to get back there and catch it. The other two were routine for Jones in center field. Walls is at 50 pitches through four innings, setting him up for a shot at a quality start.
Florida’s first 1-2-3 inning of the day (E3: UF 3, UAB 0)
The Gators failed to get a baserunner for the first time in nine offensive half innings today. Kurland grounded out to short, Surowiec fouled out to first and Strayer grounded out to the right side of second base, played by the shortstop. All three were routine outs.
Walls works around leadoff walk (M3: UF 3, UAB 0)
Walls lost control a bit in the first at-bat, walking Austin Pierzynski in five pitches, but he kept his head on after the mistake. He bounced back with a strike out an Baylor Roberts, utilizing that nasty slider. Hall lined out to Cyr in left field, and Dupuy tapped one back to Walls for his third assist of the day. This guy definitely takes his PFPs seriously.
Gators leave on on base in second (E2: UF 3, UAB 0)
Colton Schwarz grounded out in his first collegiate at-bat, but it took a diving stop and a good throw from Cheeseman at second base to get him. Schwarz has good bat-to-ball ability, and taking the pitch opposite field is a good sign for him early on.
Kolt Myers singled to deep left center and put on the brakes instead of heading to second. He advanced on a thrown-away pickoff attempt after Jones popped out to shallow left field. Lawson couldn’t bring him in either, grounding out to shortstop.
Florida gets a double-play to save a run (M2: UF 3, UAB 0)
Walls ran into a little trouble after making the first out unassisted by fielding a ball to his glove side and tagging the runner. Alex Cheeseman and Brady Waugh hit back-to-back singles, but Wesley Helms lined into a double play at first. Surowiec snagged the ball and took one step to double up Waugh.
Another strong start for Florida (E1: UF 3, UAB 0)
For a third-straight game, Kyle Jones led off with a double and scored. This time it was Brendan Lawson who plated him, on a no-doubt home run to right-center.
Cade Kurland grounded out to third, nearly beating a high throw that brought the first baseman off the bag. Ethan Surowiec walked, and Cash Strayer stayed hot with a double over the left fielder’s head, putting runners on the corners. Blake Cyr hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field, scoring Surowiec easily. Cole Stanford ended the inning on a swinging strikeout.
Good start for Cooper Walls at Florida (M1: UF 0, UAB 0)
Walls put together a strong first inning as a Gator, sitting the Blazers down in order. He sandwiched a strikeout between a pair of groundouts for a nine-pitch inning. Kevin Hall Jr. grounded out to first, unassisted. Alex Dupuy struck out on three straight pitches — whiffing at a nasty slider in the dirt — and JP Head tapped one back to the armside of Walls on the first pitch he saw. Walls works very fast, and that could keep UAB off balance.
Stream Florida vs. UAB with ESPN+
Florida vs. UAB starting pitchers
Florida Gators Game 2 doubleheader starting lineup
UAB Blazers Game 1 starting lineup
Florida vs. UAB start time
First pitch between the Gators and Blazers is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. ET inside Condron Family Ballpark.
Florida vs. UAB predictions, picks for college baseball
After the offensive showing Florida had in the first half of the doubleheader, I expect the Gators to ride that momentum at the plate. Lawson and Surowiec should have better games, too, and Colton Schwarz has good tools for his age. All three freshmen could contribute in this one.
On the mound, I expect Walls to do fine, but there’s going to be some sort of adjustment period, too. UAB is a good opponent to start with, but the Blazers have proved their willingness to swing early and often. If he can generate ground balls as King did, he’ll cruise. If the ball is in the air, there might be trouble. Luke McNeillie should get a few innings out of the bullpen. He might even come in for a three-inning close if the run rule isn’t in satisfied.
PREDICTION: Florida 7, UAB 4
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida baseball takes deciding game vs. UAB: highlights, recap
Reporting by David Rosenberg, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
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