STARKVILLE, Miss. – Florida scored its most runs in SEC play so far this year behind a season-high 17 hits to run-rule Mississippi State in resounding fashion, 13-3, in eight innings at Dudy Noble Field on Friday night.
 
The Gators (26-14, 5-11 SEC) have now won six-straight games overall highlighted by four SEC victories in a row. Florida dominated the series opener against the Bulldogs (23-15, 5-11 SEC) by scoring 12 unanswered runs from the fifth inning on after trailing, 3-1, through four frames. Ace hurler Liam Peterson (6-2) was credited with his second victory in Florida's six-game win streak, chucking his third quality start of the year and striking out six.
 
Brody Donay (4-for-5) and Luke Heyman (1-for-5) did the heavy lifting on a night where seven different Gators drove in at least one run while eight collected hits. Both Gators left the yard, with Donay homering twice to drive in a trio of runs and Heyman crushing a monster, three-run blast to put the game on ice in the sixth. Colby Shelton (3-for-4) tallied three knocks including his SEC-leading 19th double for his 22nd multi-hit game of the year, finishing with two runs scored and one RBI.
 
The Gators stranded a two-out, Brendan Lawson double in the opening frame, which provided the Bulldogs the opportunity to jump out to an early, 1-0 lead through one inning. On the first pitch of the home half of the first, Gehrig Frei swatted a solo-homer down the right-field line.
 
Florida responded with one out in the second on a solo homer down the right-field line by Donay, but Mississippi State punched right back in the bottom half to retake a 2-1 edge. On a potential inning-ending double-play ball, Joe Powell legged out a fielder's choice on a grounder to short as Bryce Chance crossed home plate.
 
Peterson induced a 6-4-3 double play and a groundout to second on a diving play by Justin Nadeau for his first zero in the third inning. After getting two quick outs in the fourth, the right-hander was taken deep by Reed Stallman as the Bulldogs extended their lead to 3-1. That would mark the extent of the scoring for Mississippi State in game one.
 
The Gators answered again in the top of the fifth, getting the run back to cut the MSU advantage to 3-2. Shelton and Lawson singled through the right side to set the table, while a fielder's choice to shortstop off the bat of Heyman put runners at the corners with two out. Shelton then scampered home on a wild pitch for Florida's lone run of the frame.
 
With the game still hanging in the balance, Florida erupted for seven runs in the top of the sixth upon MSU starter Pico Kohn's exit to take control of the opener at 9-3. Donay got it going with a leadoff single, then scored on an RBI double to right-center by Hayden Yost. After a bunt single by Ashton Wilson, Nadeau singled up the middle to plate Yost while Bobby Boser drilled a double down the right-field line to bring in Wilson. Shelton then doubled off the center-field wall to score Nadeau, putting two in scoring position for Heyman. The UF catcher plated both Gators easily, demolishing a three-run tank 447-feet to left-center to put an exclamation point on the inning.
 
Peterson held the momentum on the mound, retiring the MSU side in order in the bottom of the sixth while striking out two to total six punchouts of the night. Wilson then led off the top of the seventh with a double down the third-base line, stole third and scored on a fielder's choice to second base by Boser for UF's 10th run. Lawson made it 11-3 Gators entering stretch time with a sacrifice fly to center field.
 
Holding an eight-run lead, Florida turned to right-hander Billy Barlow in the bottom of the seventh. Despite a leadoff single by Stallman, Barlow fanned the next two batters and induced a flyout of Sawyer Reeves to right field for a scoreless inning.
 
In the eighth, Donay struck again – this time a two-run bomb to left-center – to put the Gators up an even 10 runs at 13-3. Florida righty Caden McDonald was called on to pitch the bottom of the frame and quickly ran into trouble, as the Bulldogs loaded the bases with no outs. McDonald buckled down in the tight spot, striking out the next two batters and inducing a flyout of Stallman to left to secure a run-rule win for the Orange & Blue.
 
Peterson (6-2) earned the victory behind his third quality start of the season, limiting the Bulldogs to three runs across six frames. The UF ace allowed seven hits and one walk while fanning six batters.
 
Mississippi State reliever Stone Simmons (1-1) received his first loss after being roughed up for six earned runs on six hits without recording an out in the sixth inning.
 
Kohn did not factor into the decision after pitching five innings of two-run ball. The southpaw finished with six hits allowed, two walks and 11 strikeouts.
 
NOTABLES

• Florida has won six-straight games overall and four in a row at Dudy Noble Field.
  • The Gators have won eight of the last nine against Mississippi State.
• Florida delivered its 10th come-from-behind win of the season.
  • In their last two games, the Gators have fallen behind, 4-1, and 3-1, and rallied to win both games by respective scores of 14-4 and 13-3.
  • Florida scored 13 unanswered runs against Stetson on Tuesday and 12 unanswered at Mississippi State on Friday night.
• The Gators set a season high with 17 hits while scoring a season-high 13 runs in SEC play.
  • Florida reached double-digit runs for the 14th time this season and second game in a row.
• Every UF starter reached base safely and also either scored or drove in a run.
• Florida has now won nine games via the run rule this season.
• The bottom-four hitters in Florida's batting order went a combined 9-for-19 with two homers, two doubles, seven runs and four RBI.
• Peterson registered his team-high third quality start of the season, completing six innings for the fifth time in his career and third time this year.
• Donay recorded his fourth-career multi-homer game and first of the 2025 campaign, tying his career high in hits with a 4-for-5 showing at the plate, three RBI and three runs scored.
• Donay tied the game in the second with his 10th home run of the season, becoming the second Gator to reach double-digit homers this season alongside Boser (13), before adding his 11th in the eighth.
• Yost swiped his 10th base of the campaign, joining Boser (11) as Gators with double-digit steals.
• Heyman mashed his eighth homer of the season with a three-run shot in the sixth.
• Barlow pitched a scoreless seventh while McDonald threw a shutout eighth.
• Shelton has reached base safely in 39 of 40 games this season.
• Shelton produced his team-high 22nd multi-hit game.
  • He also notched his fourth three-hit performance.
• Shelton hit his SEC-leading 19th double.
• Boser has reached base safely in 20-straight games.
• Florida improved to 73-52 all-time against Mississippi State including 31-25 in Starkville.
  • The Gators are 26-13 overall and 10-6 on the road vs. MSU under Head Coach O'Sullivan.
• Friday night's official attendance was 11,925.

FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O'SULLIVAN
On handling the early deficit in a tough road environment…
"We had to navigate through those first three innings. There was just some misfortune, and things could've gotten away from us a little bit. Liam was late covering first in one of those innings there—I think it was the third—and it was with two outs and would've ended the inning. But we navigated through it, and hopefully this gives them some confidence going into tomorrow."
 
On the complete team win…
"Really, really pleased with Liam. He had some misfortune there early in the game with some ground balls that were just out of reach and weren't hit particularly hard, but he grinded it out and went six full for us, obviously. Then, offensively, we had the most hits in a game this year. Obviously, Brody Donay had a terrific night at the plate with a couple of home runs, and I think eight of the nine guys got hits tonight and everybody reached base—so it was a group effort."
 
On the change in momentum in the sixth…
"I think the bunt by Ashton when the third baseman slipped kind of opened things up, but we just strung together some hits. I thought Colby and Brendan had outstanding at bats against a really tough-angled, left-handed pitcher tonight. So, all in all, it was a lot of positives."

UP NEXT
The Gators and Bulldogs face off in game two on Saturday, scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.