By Jake Mastroianni
Gators Get the Series Win Over Their Rival at High Price
Florida Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan continues to dominate the Miami rivalry with another series win, but the Gators came out of the weekend hobbled with some impactful injuries.
On Saturday, Pierce Coppola retired the first eight batters of the game with 3 strikeouts. But after walking back-to-back hitters, Sullivan decided to remove him from the game.
Going back to the first inning, second baseman Cade Kurland made an outstanding diving play, got up, and made the throw to the first for the out, but he was in serious pain afterwards and was taken out of the game.
Kurland is hitting .353 on the year with 2 doubles, 3 home runs, and 13 RBI. Coppola has allowed just 4 hits and 4 walks in 12.2 innings through 3 starts with 23 strikeouts.
Hopefully it’s nothing major for either guy, but it’s not what you want to see as you’re getting ready for SEC play, which begins with a matchup in Knoxville against Tennessee.
Brody Donay was not in the starting lineup on Saturday. There is no indication that it was injury-related. It may have been a chance to give him a breather, as he was just 4-19 in his last 6 games and had 7 strikeouts in his last 3 games, including a 4-strikeout game against Stetson.
He seemed OK on Sunday, as he had a big game and picked up his 6th home run of the season.
Bobby Boser’s big impact on the offense
While we get excited about transfers today and the immediate impact they could have on a roster, you never really know until you see them in action.
Bobby Boser spent three years at South Florida before joining the Gators for his senior season. Through the first three weeks, he’s been their most impactful transfer, slashing .370/.483/.761 with 3 doubles, 5 home runs, 16 runs scored, 14 RBI, and 4 stolen bases.
It was a huge weekend for him against Miami, as he was 5-11 with 2 home runs and 5 runs scored.
On Friday night, he tied the game in the third with a solo home run and capped the Gators scoring for the night with an RBI single in the eighth. And then on Saturday, he got the scoring started with a solo shot in the fourth at a point when Miami starter Griffin Hugus was untouchable.
The Gators lost the finale, but it was Boser again getting it started with an RBI single in the first inning.
Finding those trusty bullpen arms
Many years, it has taken the entire season for O’Sullivan to find a group of arms he really trusts out of the bullpen. But early on, it seems pretty clear who his go-to guys are.
Florida and Miami played a couple of tight games on Friday and Saturday. In both games, O’Sullivan finished with Frank Menendez, Luke McNeillie, and Alex Philpott.
On Friday, that group allowed just 1 hit over 3 innings with 5 strikeouts. It was not as smooth on Saturday as they each allowed an earned run over 3 innings on 5 hits and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts.
Those three have combined to allow just 5 earned runs on the year in 20.1 innings with 34 strikeouts and just 6 walks.
Aidan King has been terrific out of the bullpen as well, allowing just 1 earned run over 10.1 innings with 12 strikeouts. He came on in relief of Coppola on Saturday and tossed 3.1 scoreless innings.
If Coppola does have to miss time, we’ll see if King gets a shot in the rotation or if they go with freshman Jackson Barberi.
Weekend results
Fri. 6-2, W. Liam Peterson - 6 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, 7 Ks, 1 W; Boser - 3-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB
Sat. 6-3, W. King - 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 3 Ks, 1 W; Luke Heyman - 2-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI.
Sun. 13-7, L. Christian Rodriguez - 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 1 K; Donay - 3-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB.
Next up
Tue, March 4 at UCF
Wed, March 5 vs. Florida Atlantic
Fri, March 7 vs. Harvard
Sat, March 8 vs. Harvard
Sun, March 9 vs. Harvard
Gators Get the Series Win Over Their Rival at High Price
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