Florida kicked off its 2026 NCAA Tournament run with a wild, walk-off win over the Rider Broncs, 8-7.
Everything was going the Gators’ way until the eighth inning. Russell Sandefer gave Florida 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball, and Caden McDonald kept that going through the seventh.
Solo home runs from Kyle Jones — in leadoff fashion — and Landon Stripling helped Florida lead 4-0 at that point. Jones and Stripling were responsible for the other two runs scored as well, albeit in different innings. That’s when Rider started hitting the ball well.
Ernesto Lugo-Canchola was not his usual self. He allowed a pair of walks and failed to get out of the eighth. Kevin O’Sullivan broke the glass in case of emergency and brought in Jackson Barberi, who couldn’t get an out and gave up a game-tying grand slam.
Joshua Whritenour gave up a double and a two-run homer that put Rider up 6-4.
Florida’s offense wouldn’t be denied. Caden McDonald led off with a home run, and Cade Kurland hit a two-run shot to take the lead. Whritenour couldn’t get the save, though. He gave up a solo home run to tie the score at seven, but he kept Rider from taking the lead.
Brendan Lawson ended up the hero, calling the game on the fourth pitch he saw. A no-doubt walk-off home run sent the fans home happy, and Florida plays in the winners’ bracket game on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.
BRENDAN LAWSON WALKOFF!!! | FINAL: FLORIDA 8, RIDER 7
There’s no one Florida would rather have at the plate to start the bottom of the ninth in a tied game than Brendan Lawson, and the Gators shortstop delivered. He smashed a walk-off home run to center field, and Florida starts the NCAA Tournament 1-0.
And we’re tied…
Joshua Whritenour stayed out there for the save, but he gave up a one-out homer to Matt Laeahy after getting Peter Crespo to foul out to left field. Sigh.
Will Gallagher struck out swinging, and Erich Hartmann grounded out to first to send us to the bottom of the ninth. Time for a walk-off?
Florida retakes the lead
Caden McDonald saw balls flying out of the park in the top half of the inning and thought, ‘Hey, that looks fun.’ He blasted a solo shot of his own, cutting the two-run deficit in half for Florida. It’s worth mentioning that Rider is in its bullpen. Christian Aiello is the new pitcher.
Karson Bowen got in on the extra-base party, hitting a triple off the wall in right-center. Rider’s outfielders played the bounce off the wall poorly and chased it for a while. Bowen got in standing up.
Cade Kurland delivered big time with a two-run opposite-field blast to retake the lead.
Hayden Yost and Kyle Jones both flied out to right, but the Gators scored the runs they needed. Three outs to a win. (E8: Florida 7, Rider 6)
Rider takes the lead…
Joshua Whritenour came in to stop the bleeding, but it didn’t work. Charley Magoulick doubled off the wall in left field to put the go-ahead run in scoring position, and Nick Shuhet hit a two-run homer to dead center to give Rider a two-run lead.
Whritenour struck out Eliot Medlock swinging, but the damage has been done. (M8: Rider 6, Florida 4)
Bullpen implodes for Florida
Ernesto Lugo-Canchola took over for McDonald in the eighth. He walked the leadoff man, Peter Crespo, and threw a first-pitch ball to Matt Leahy. That brought Kevin O’Sullivan to the mound and got Jackson Barberi warming up in the bullpen.
Leahy ended up reaching on a fielder’s choice, but Florida got the out at second. Lugo-Canchola walked the next batter after allowing Leahy to move up a base on a wild pitch. Another fielder’s choice put men on the corners, forcing Florida to make a pitching change.
Jackson Barberi took over, walked Kyle Neri on four pitches, and gave up a game-tying grand slam… (T8: Florida 4, Rider 4)
Nothing doing for Florida in the seventh
Brendan Lawson singled with one out on a ball that just got by the second baseman, but the other three batters went down without much of a fight. Kyle Jones led off with a groundout to shortstop, Blake Cyr flied out on a 3-1 count, and Ethan Surowiec flied out to left-center on the first pitch he saw.
Despite the four runs allowed, PJ Craig has been very good for Rider. He’s over 100 pitches through seven frames. The two homers came on mistake pitches, but he has limited the Gators to just two more runs on six hits and a pair of walks. (E7: Florida 4, Rider 0)
Florida is six outs away from a 1-0 start to regionals
Cade Kurland made a fantastic backhanded stop up the middle and rifled the ball over to Landon Stripling at first for an out to open the seventh. Charley Magoulic grounded out to first unassisted, but Nick Shuhet kept the inning going with a base hit through the left side. Caden McDonald blew a 90-mph fastball by Eliot Medlock to get the third out, though. (M7: Florida 4, Rider 0)
Stripling homers to put Florida up by four
Karson Bowen flied out on two pitches to open the bottom of the sixth, but Landon Stripling only needed to see one pitch to add to Florida’s lead. Stripling sent one 387 feet over the wall in right-center for the Gators’ second homer of the day. Cade Kurland grounded out to shortstop, and Hayden Yost flied out on pitch No. 9 of his third at bat. (E6: Florida 4, Rider 0)
McDonald takes over for Sandefer
Peter Crespo hit a swinging bunt toward first base that only Sandefer could make the play on. Sandefer fielded his position perfectly for a close out, but the No. 9 hitter ended his consecutive outs streak at 12 with a base hit through the right side. That brought Kevin O’Sullivan out, but he left Sandefer in.
Sandefer gave up a four-pitch walk, and Florida made a change after getting Erich Hartmann out on a close 1-3 play to first.
Caden McDonald took over and got out of the inning with an easier out to second base. (M6: Florida 3, Rider 0)
Florida takes a 3-run lead
The Gators got another leadoff double in the fifth, this time from Hayden Yost into right-center. Kyle Jones singled into left field to bring Yost home. The throw had a chance to get to home in time, but Yost was too quick and the catcher was up the line too much.
Brendan Lawson flied out to left-center, and Blake Cyr flied out to center. Lawson’s ball was deep, but the wind blowing in from left field kept it in the park. Ethan Surowiec kept the inning going with a single through the left side, but Caden McDonald flied out to shallow center to strand both runners. (E5: Florida 3, Rider 0)
Sandefer makes it 11 outs in a row
Rider hasn’t reached base since the one-out single in the second, and that’s because Russell Sandefer is dealing. Charley Magoulic flied out to left center, and Eliot Medlock grounded out to short to bookend the inning. The second out was a bit of a battle between Sandefer and Nick Shuhet. Sandefer came out on top with the strikeout after eight pitches. (M5: Florida 2, Rider 0)
Gators add another run
After leaving the bases loaded in the third, Florida figured out a way to score in the fourth. Caden McDonald led off with a double to the wall in right-center, and Karson Bowen moved him over to third with a groundout up the middle. Landon Stripling brought McDonald home with a sacrifice fly to left field. Cade Kurland ended the frame with a groundout to third. (E4: Florida 2, Rider 0)
Sandefer cruising through four
Sandefer got Erich Hartmann and Kyle Neri to ground out to second base and back to the mound, respectively. Anthony Paskell flied out to shallow right field for the third out. Sandefer is going right at hitters and has retired eight in a row. He’s at 57 pitches through four. (M4: Florida 1, Rider 0)
Florida strands the bases loaded
Cade Kurland grounded out to third to open the bottom of the third inning. Hayden Yost worked the count full before hitting a cue-shot single to shortstop. It had some funky spin, and Rider’s shortstop couldn’t handle the transfer against Yost’s speed.
Kyle Jones and Brendan Lawson walked on a combined nine pitches — just one strike mixed in there for Craig. That brought acting head coach Dr. Barry Davis to the mound, and whatever he said to Craig worked. Blake Cyr popped up into foul territory near first base for a crucial second out. Ethan Surowiec did the same but to second base. Rider survives the threat. (E3: Florida 1, Rider 0)
After further review, it’s a 1-2-3 frame
Peter Crespo flied to Kyle Jones in center for a routine first out. Matt Leahy tapped a slow roller to Cade Kurland at second base, but he made the play.
The third out was harder to come by. Brendan Lawson had to play Will Gallagher’s ball deep at shortstop. Lawson gave it a low, one-hop throw that got to first base quickly, but the call on the field was safe. Florida challenged. It took a lengthy review, but the call was eventually overturned to end the inning. (M3: Florida 1, Rider 0)
Gators can’t get on base in the second
Florida went down 1-2-3 in the second as Craig began to settle in. Caden McDonald reached for a sweeper that he couldn’t make contact for on strike three, and Karson Bowen and Landon Stripling both flied out to center field without much fanfare. (E2: Florida 1, Rider 0)
Another 0 for Sandefer, replay confirms third out
Sandefer got Anthony Paskell to pop up to Cade Kurland at second base on the first pitch of the second, but Charley Magoulic knocked a single into right field for Rider’s first hit of the day. Nick Shuhet couldn’t follow up on that base knock, fanning at a slider.
Eliot Medlock sent a hot shot down the line to Ethan Surowiec at third base. Surowiec had to get rid of it quickly after making the stop. His throw was high, but Landon Stripling elevated and got the tag down just in time. Rider challenged it, but the replay center in Pittsburgh confirmed the call to end the inning. (M2: Florida 1, Rider 0)
Kyle Jones blasts a first-pitch home run
Kyle Jones got Florida on the board right away, smashing a 92-mph heater left up in the zone for a 406-foot homer to center field.
Rider’s starter, PJ Craig, settled down after that and retired Brendan Lawson, Blake Cyr and Ethan Surowiec in order, though. Lawson flied out to right, Cyr struck out swinging at a slider with more than 2,800 rpm and Surowiec grounded out to shortstop, failing to beat the shift. (E1: Florida 1, Rider 0)
Sandefer strikes out the side to open game
Russell Sandefer looks fine in his first start since taking a comebacker off the elbow during the SEC Tournament. He is sitting 96-97 mph with his fastball early and commanding his changeup well. Sandefer struck out Will Gallagher, Erich Hartmann and Kyle Neri on 14 pitches. Neri went down looking. That’s as good of a start as Kevin O’Sullivan could have asked for from his No. 3 arm. (M1: Florida 0, Rider 0)
Stream Florida vs. Rider with ESPN+
Florida vs. Rider starting pitchers, lineups
Florida Gators starting lineup
Rider starting lineup
What time is Florida vs. Rider?
What channel is Florida vs. Rider?
The Florida vs. Rider game starts at 1 p.m. ET from Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville, Florida.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida walks off Rider in Gainesville Regional: Final score, recap
Reporting by David Rosenberg, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
