Florida baseball looks to win the weekend series against the No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon in Athens.
The Gators came out swinging in Friday’s opener, riding a dominant performance from starter Aidan King to an 8-2 victory. King was nearly untouchable, carrying a perfect game into the seventh inning before a bizarre two-run triple ended his bid for history. The offense was quiet early against Georgia starter Joey Volchko, but erupted for seven runs in the seventh, highlighted by a bases-clearing double from Blake Cyr and back-to-back home runs from Landon Stripling and Cole Stanford.
Now, Kevin O’Sullivan sends right-hander Liam Peterson to the mound for Saturday’s contest. Peterson carries a 1-2 record and a 4.03 ERA into the start, opposing Georgia’s Dylan Vigue, who has been one of the more reliable arms in the SEC at 3-1 with a 2.83 ERA.
Follow along for updates throughout today’s game.
FINAL: Georgia 5, Florida 1
The Gators couldn’t get anything going in the ninth and dropped Saturday’s game 5-1. Cyr grounded out, Kurland struck out after being called for intentionally being hit by a pitch and Stripling flied out to left to end the game.
Florida managed just two hits on the afternoon and left runners on base in five innings. The series is now tied at one game apiece with Sunday’s rubber match still to come.
Bulldogs blow it open with four runs (E8: UF 1, UGA 5)
What started as a one-run deficit turned into a blowout in a hurry.
Allen singled to score Lujo and push the lead to 3-1, and Hudson followed with a sacrifice fly to center that plated the pinch runner and made it 4-1. Black doubled to put two runners on and Allen advanced to third. Branch went down looking for the second out, but a wild pitch scored Allen to extend the lead to 5-1 before the next batter grounded out to end the frame.
The Orange and Blue now need a four-run rally in the ninth just to force extra innings, a tall task against a Georgia pitching staff that has been sharp all afternoon.
Georgia breaks the tie in the eighth (B8: UF 1, UGA 2)
Florida’s bullpen couldn’t hold the tie and Georgia seized the moment.
Walls ran into trouble immediately, allowing Jackson to lead off with a double and hitting Lujo with a pitch to put two runners on with nobody out. Oriach followed with an RBI single to right that scored Jackson and gave Georgia a 2-1 lead, with Lujo advancing to third.
The Gators are changing pitchers. Right-hander Caden McDonald is in to pitch for Florida with no outs in the bottom of the eighth.
Florida still can’t break through (M8: UF 1, UGA 1)
The Gators had a chance to take the lead and came up empty again.
Jones went down swinging before Lawson worked a walk and stole second base to put the go-ahead run in scoring position with one out. It was the kind of moment Florida has been waiting for all afternoon.
But Surowiec struck out and Bowen flied out to strand Lawson and end the threat.
Right-hander Cooper Walls is in to pitch for the Gators as the game heads to the bottom of the eighth inning.
Peterson logs a career high (E7: UF 1, UGA 1)
Peterson worked around a leadoff double to keep the game tied heading into the final two innings.
Black led off with a double, and there was a brief scare on the play when Myers hurt his right foot. But he stayed in the game. Peterson responded by retiring the next three batters without allowing the run to score.
In what was likely his last inning of work, Peterson’s logged a career high seven innings pitched and allowed one earned run, four strikeouts, no walks and had eight hits allowed.
Florida goes down in order against Aoki (M7: UF 1, UGA 1)
The Gators couldn’t take advantage of the pitching change and went down in order in the seventh. Stripling struck out swinging, Kendall popped up to short and Myers struck out to end the frame.
Florida has now been held to two hits through seven innings and the offense has been a major disappointment on Saturday afternoon in Athens.
With the game still deadlocked at 1-1, the Gators are running out of innings to make something happen.
Vigue exits after six strong innings (T7: UF 1, UGA 1)
Vigue’s afternoon is over, and he made Florida work for every single at-bat.
The Georgia right-hander finished with six innings pitched, allowing just two hits and one earned run while striking out seven. Now, the Gators get a look a the bullpen with right-hander Caden Aoki coming on for the seventh.
This is exactly what Florida needs right now. A fresh arm with the game on the line and a chance to finally break through.
Peterson escapes the jam, keeps it tied (E6: UF 1, UGA 1)
Peterson had to work out of trouble in the sixth but came through when it mattered.
Lujo and Oriach hit back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with nobody out, and it looked like Georgia was about to take the lead. But after a mound visit with O’Sullivan, Peterson forced the next batter to ground into a double play. Hudson then flied out to left to strand Lujo on third base and end the threat of a score.
It was a big sequence for Peterson, who continues to pitch very well.
Florida strands Bowen in the sixth (M6: UF 1, UGA 1)
Another missed opportunity for the Gators. Bowen singled to give the Gators their second hit of the game and a baserunner with one out. But Cyr pooped up to short and Kurland went down looking on strikes to strand Bowen and end the inning.
Peterson heads back out for the bottom of the sixth still looking for run support.
Peterson rolls through the fifth (E5: UF 1, UGA 1)
Peterson stayed sharp in the fifth, retiring Georgia in order on just 11 pitches. Ishikawa flied out to right, Phelps grounded out and Jackson went down swinging to end the frame in a hurry.
Peterson has now retired seven straight batters and looks like a completely different pitcher than what was shown in the first inning. Through five innings, he has been everything O’Sullivan needed him to be on Saturday afternoon.
The Gators come up to bat in the sixth looking to give Peterson some run support.
Game still remains tied in the fifth (M5: UF 1, UGA 1)
Another quiet inning for the Gators at the plate and another opportunity left on the table. Back-to-back groundouts by Kendall and Myers put Florida in an early two-out hole. Jones worked a walk to keep the inning alive, but Lawson went down swinging on a full count to strand the baserunner.
The Gators have struggled to string anything together against Vigue, who continues to work efficiently. Peterson heads back out for the bottom of the fifth with the game at 1-1.
Peterson delivers another clean inning (E4: UF 1, UGA 1)
Peterson continues to give the Gators exactly what they need. Allen led off with a single to center, but Peterson stranded him without any damage. Hudson popped up to short, Black flied out to center and Branch went down swinging to end the fourth.
Through four innings, Peterson has allowed five hits, one run, one walk and has struck out three. He’s found a groove after the rocky first inning and is keeping the Gators right in this game.
Florida goes down in order in the fourth (M4: UF 1, UGA 1)
Vigue is back in control and the Gators have no answers right now. Cyr grounded out to short, Kurland grounded out to third and Stripling struck out looking at a slider that clipped the outside part of the plate.
Florida needs to find a way to get something before Vigue gets deeper into this game. He’s up to four strikeouts through four innings and has allowed just one hit.
Peterson rolls through the third (E3: UF 1, UGA 1)
Peterson was sharp in the third, making quick work of the Georgia lineup.
Phelps flied out to left and Jackson grounded out to short to give Peterson two quick outs. Lujo reached on an infield single when a throw from third took Stripling off the first base bag, but it was the only blemish in an otherwise clean frame. Oriach then flied out to center to end the inning.
Surowiec ties it up (M3: UF 1, UGA 1)
Florida broke through and tied the game in the third. Kendall worked a walk to lead off and moved to second on a Kolt Myers groundout. Jones then went down on strikes on a borderline inside slider that was called a strike, but Lawson responded by drawing a four-pitch walk to put two runners on. Surowiec came through with an RBI single that scored Kendall and knotted the game at 1-1.
Florida left two on base but at least they got the tying run across. Peterson heads back out for the bottom of the third with the score even.
Peterson works around leadoff single (E2: UF 0, UGA 1)
Peterson bounced back in the second with a cleaner inning despite allowing a leadoff single to Brennan Hudson. The right-hander retired the next three Georgia batters in a row.
Ryan Black flied out to right, Kolby Branch struck out looking and Kenny Ishikawa popped up to third base to strand Hudson. It looks like Peterson is starting to settle in.
Quiet second inning for the Gators (M2: UF 0, UGA 1)
Karson Bowen went down looking on strikes and Blake Cyr popped up to put Florida in an early hole in the frame. Cade Kurland worked a hit by pitch on a full count to give the Gators a man on base, but Landon Stripling flied out to left to strand him and end the inning.
Peterson allows early run as Georgia strikes first (E1: UF 0, UGA 1)
Peterson ran into early trouble in the bottom of the first, and a miscue in the outfield didn’t help matters.
Tre Phelps opened the inning with a triple to left field, with Jacob Kendall having trouble fielding the ball. Daniel Jackson followed with a groundout to second that plated Phelps and gave the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead.
Rylan Lujo singled and stole second to put another runner in scoring position, but Peterson got Jordy Oriach swinging and Henry Allen on a flyout to strand the runner and escape further damage.
Gators go down in order in the first (M1: UF 0, UGA 0)
Kyle Jones, Brendan Lawson and Ethan Surowiec went down in order to open the game, with Surowiec going down looking on a full count to end the frame. Dylan Vigue looked sharp, needing just 11 pitches to retire the side.
Liam Peterson takes the mound now for the Gators in the bottom of the first.
Pregame
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The Florida at Georgia game starts at 12 p.m. ET from Foley Field in Athens, Georgia.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Live updates, highlights from Florida baseball at Georgia Bulldogs
Reporting by Aidan Gallardo, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
