Florida Stays Alive With Huge Series Win Over Arkansas

(Florida Athletics photo)

By Jake Mastroianni 

Florida (30-16, 8-13) can’t keep getting away with this, but it looks like they might after getting a huge SEC series win at home over Arkansas (37-9, 14-7). 

Last year, with three weeks to go in the SEC season, Florida was just 9-12 in the conference,and it looked like they would miss the NCAA tournament after a slow start. But, then they found themselves on the bubble, got in, and made a run to Omaha. 

This year’s team still has a lot of work to do, and you don’t know how the committee will weigh the three wins over Missouri, but a series win over a top-five team will go a long way. 

As for the Razorbacks, what stood out over the weekend was the lack of consistency for the offense. In the final two games, they scored all but one run in just two frames. They were big frames, but it cost them Sunday when they weren’t able to add on to a lead and put Florida away. 

Game 1: Florida 6, Arkansas 4

Wehiwa Aloy and Cam Kozeal each hit solo home runs off Florida starter Liam Peterson in the first and second innings, respectively, but outside of that, Peterson was brilliant. 

The Gators ace struck out 11 batters in the first four innings and wound up with 13 over six innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks. The third run came from a leadoff walk to start the 7th before Peterson was removed.

Jake Clemente did a good job finishing off the game for Florida on the mound, with 2.2 scoreless and hitless innings with three strikeouts. 

An unearned run got Florida on the board in the third, and then Blake Cyr tied the game with an RBI single in the fourth. But the big blow in the game was a three-run homer by Luke Heyman. 

Game 2: Arkansas 7, Florida 0

This one was shaping up to be another great pitching matchup early, with Arkansas’ Gage Wood nearly unhittable for three innings as he continues to get stretched out. And, Florida’s Aidan King was cruising as well through the first four innings. 

But then, an ugly top-of-the-5th for Florida helped Arkansas put a six-spot on the board. The inning started with a hit batter, and King then got a ground ball that should have led to an easy double play, but third baseman Bobby Boser lost it on the transfer. 

After a sac bunt, Wehiwa Aloy was walked to load the bases. His brother Kuhio hit a sharp ground ball to short that just got under the glove of Colby Shelton, in what could have been another double play. 

After another sac fly, Brent Iredale drove in two more with a ground-rule double, knocking King out of the game. Kozeal then put the exclamation point on the inning with a two-run shot. 

Gabe Gaeckle relieved Wood in the 4th inning and was able to continue the scoreless streak for 3.1 innings, Aidan Jimenez finishing off the shutout. 

Game 3: Florida 9, Arkansas 7

Arkansas roughed up Florida starter Billy Barlow and put the Gators in a huge hole early thanks to a walk, three hit batters, and two hits, leading to a five-run second inning for the Razorbacks. 

Alex Philpott was able to settle things down on the mound for Florida, giving his offense a chance to steadily catch up with one run in the second, two in the fourth, one in the fifth, two in the sixth, one in the seventh, and one in the eighth. 

After Philpott, Christian Rodriguez, Luke McNeillie, and Jake Clemente followed and collectively held the Razorbacks scoreless. 

Clemente tossed three of the scoreless innings Sunday and had 5.2 scoreless total pitched on the weekend. He’s becoming a real weapon out of the bullpen for the Gators. 

Bobby Boser had three hits on Sunday, extending his hit streak to eight games, and he has recorded a hit in 22 of his last 24 games as the table-setter atop the Florida lineup. 

What’s next

• Florida will try to continue their good run on the road next weekend against a struggling South Carolina team. 

• The Razorbacks end of season schedule is absolutely brutal as they host Texas, travel to LSU, and finish at home against Tennessee.

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