Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan and the infield gather on the mound during a pitching change in Sunday's loss to Troy. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications)
The Gators suffered a 16-11 loss to Troy on Sunday in the Gainesville Regional, forcing a winner-take-all championship game on Monday.
By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The home run derby that engulfed Condron Ballpark early Sunday morning and sent Florida fans home happy took a turn on Sunday night.
Homers continued to fly out of the ballpark, but less than 24 hours after Florida swatted seven against Miami, Troy battered Florida starter Liam Peterson for four home runs en route to a 16-11 victory in the Gainesville Regional. The Trojans kept their season alive to earn a rematch against the Gators on Monday night at 6 p.m. with a Super Regional berth on the line.
Florida (41-20) had an opportunity to sweep a regional for the first time since 2016, but the Trojans (35-30) showed they can play long ball, too, as Jimmy Janicki (two), Houston Markham and Blake Cavill went deep against Peterson, and Jabe Boroff capped Troy's outburst with a grand slam off reliever Billy Barlow in Troy's nine-run sixth inning to blow the game open. The Trojans stayed alive in the first game Sunday by beating Miami in an elimination game.
"Trying to manage the bullpen today was extremely difficult because obviously we were chasing runs the entire game,'' Gators head coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. "The sixth inning was pretty much a disaster. It got away from us obviously, but bottom line is we've got a chance to win the regional tomorrow. We did this in 2017, had to come back on a Monday and play."
Meanwhile, the Gators pounded Troy for four homers, with Caden McDonald hitting two, Brendan Lawson adding a two-run homer and Cade Kurland connecting for a grand slam in the eighth inning, his fourth homer of the regional. However, Trojans starter Cooper Ellingworth won the pitching matchup against Peterson by limiting the Gators to seven hits and five runs over six innings. Ellingworth struck out five and did not walk a batter in his career-high 89-pitch outing.
Troy's No. 9 hitter, right fielder Markham, put the Trojans on top for good with a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the third. Janicki extended the lead to 6-2 with a three-run homer later in the third. Florida trimmed the lead to 6-4 on Lawson's two-run shot in the top of the fifth, but the Trojans responded when Blake Cavill led off the bottom of the inning with a towering 447-homer to center field, making it 7-5.
The Trojans then exploded for nine runs on seven hits in the sixth to take a 16-5 lead as the UF bullpen fared no better than Peterson.
Monday's winner-take-all championship game could feature more of the same. In six games in the Gainesville Regional, teams have combined to hit 35 home runs. Florida leads the field with 16, followed by the Trojans, who have 10.
Liam Peterson labored through five innings of work on Sunday, allowing four homers in five innings. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications)
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Janicki, the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, flexed his powerful swing against one of the Southeastern Conference's most talented pitching prospects. After his two-run homer in the first, Janicki stepped to the plate in the bottom of the third with one out and two runners on base. Janicki drilled Peterson's 1-2 pitch over the wall in right field for a three-run homer and 6-2 Troy lead. The Gators kept it close for a while, but Janicki's first two plate appearances set the tone of the day. He finished 2-for-4 with two homers, six RBI and three runs scored.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
For the second consecutive game, the Gators got a less-than-stellar outing from their starting pitcher. Peterson entered Sunday's start having allowed only seven home runs over 79 1/3 innings. He served up four to the Trojans, and departed after the first two batters in the bottom of the sixth reached. Peterson allowed 10 hits, nine runs, walked one and struck out four in five innings. Peterson had won two consecutive starts before taking the mound Sunday, and for the Gators to make an extended run in the NCAA Tournament, he'll need to pitch better.
KEY MOMENT
Following McDonald's leadoff homer in the sixth to trim Troy's lead to 7-5, Hayden Yost stepped to the plate as the potential tying run with Kurland on base (hit by pitch) and two outs. On a 3-2 offering from Ellingworth, who appeared to be running on fumes, plate umpire Travis Eggert punched out Yost on an inside fastball at the knees. The pitch could have gone either way, but for the Gators, it signaled the beginning of the end as Troy exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the frame.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"We're just going to have to pitch better if we're gonna want to move on. We've been throwing the ball really well, but for whatever reason, we have not been ourselves, and tomorrow hopefully we will be." — O'Sullivan on the team's pitching in the regional
UP NEXT
The Gators get another crack at the Trojans on Monday at Condron Ballpark in a winner-take-all regional championship game at 6 p.m. Florida can advance to a Super Regional for the first time since 2024 with a victory, and will host for the first time since 2023.
NOTABLES
The Gators will play in an NCAA Regional Game 7 for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
Florida had its five-game winning streak as an NCAA Regional host snapped.
Florida has crushed 16 home runs in three games at the Gainesville Regional.
The Gators have won 12 of their last 15 games while outscoring opponents, 158-91.
Florida dropped to 26-13 against unranked teams on top of being a nation-best 15-7 against ranked opponents while repping 16 Quad I wins.
The Gators have homered in 16-consecutive games dating back to the series opener at Oklahoma on May 1, cranking 49 homers in that span for 3.1 per game.
Florida has recorded multiple home runs in eight-straight contests.
Kurland was plunked in the sixth inning for the 52nd time in his career, passing Matt LaPorta (51, 2004-07) for the all-time program record.
Lawson homered for the third-straight game in the Gainesville Regional to give him eight home runs in the last 11 contests and a team-high 19 on the season.
McDonald belted his eighth and ninth home runs of the season – all of which have come in the last 19 games.
McDonald now has two multi-homer games in the last 19 contests.
Kurland homered for the fourth time in the Gainesville Regional with his ninth homer of the campaign in the eighth – a grand slam – and has now launched six home runs in the last seven games.
Florida is 140-91 across 41 NCAA Tournament appearances including a 93-55 mark at Regionals.
Florida has claimed 16 Regional titles.
Florida is now 7-2 all-time against Troy – all of which have been played in Gainesville.
The Gators are 3-1 in the head-to-head series under Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan.
Florida last played Troy in 2020, sweeping the Trojans in Gainesville.
Sunday's attendance was 4,751.
FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O'SULLIVAN On the outcome of Sunday night's game…
"Trying to manage the bullpen today was extremely difficult. It felt like we were chasing runs the entire game and when we got it within two runs, we would turn around and give up another un and fall behind again. So then you're trying to manage the game, and if we had kept it closer after five innings, we probably would have went to Caden McDonald, but when you start falling behind by too much… Obviously, the sixth inning was just a disaster. So, it kind of juts got away from us. The bottom line is though, we have a chance to win a Regional tomorrow. We did this in 2017. Today is obviously disappointing. We have not pitched well this Regional. Our bullpen fell apart on Friday. We only got three innings out of Aidan King last night. Then obviously, today was not what Liam wanted. We have just got to pitch better if we want to move on…"
On whether the players are mentally prepared for the winner-take-all matchup…
"They will have no choice. I mean, you win: you move on. You lose: the season is over. We played a tough schedule. We have been through ups and downs. I definitely think they will be ready to play. What else do they have to lose? The alternative is that the season is over. So they have to go out there and give their best effort and have as much energy as they possibly can. When your name is called in the pen, you do your job, and keep swinging it the way that we have been swinging it, and keep playing how we have been defensively, the rest will play out in itself."
