The Gators took the lead with a pair of two-out runs in the ninth before the Noles walked it off in the home half.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida baseball took the lead in the ninth but was unable to hold on as No. 4 Florida State walked off for an 8-4 victory at Vystar Ballpark on Tuesday night.
The Gators (18-9) mustered one hit through the first eight innings of play before the offense came to life in the final inning. Florida stuck with the Seminoles (21-3) thanks to four shutout frames from the relief trio of Caden McDonald (1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K), Luke McNeillie (1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K) and Jake Clemente (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K).
The Seminoles wasted no time opening the scoring with one run in the bottom of the first. After hitting a one-out double, Alex Lodise scored on an RBI single to center field by Drew Faurot.
UF starting pitcher McCall Biemiller rebounded for a scoreless frame in the second, raising his strikeout total to two. Florida took advantage by knotting the game at 1-1 in the top of the third. Ty Evans led off with a single to left, stole second and advanced all the way home on two subsequent wild pitches.
Following a leadoff single by Lodise in the home half of the third, Biemiller was relieved by southpaw Niko Janssens. The rookie quickly induced a 4-6-3 double play and fanned Faurot to keep the tie intact.
Florida State edged back in front in the fourth, as Brody DeLamielleure connected for a two-run shot to right to make it 3-1. McDonald successfully worked the Orange & Blue out of the inning, then retired the first two batters of the fifth to finish with 1 2/3 scoreless frames prior to being lifted. McNeillie took over from there and induced a groundout of Myles Bailey to hold the score.
In the top of the sixth, Bobby Boser walked and swiped second base with one man down. After a Blake Cyr walk and Brendan Lawson hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, Cade Kurland worked a free pass to force home Boser and bring the Gators within one run at 3-2.
McNeillie fired a clean frame in the sixth before ceding pitching duties to Clemente in the seventh. Clemente stranded a man on third by striking out Max Williams for the third out.
Closer Alex Philpottentered on the mound in the ninth. The sophomore right-hander struck out the FSU side in order to keep the Gators within one heading into the ninth.
Lawson led off the ninth with a six-pitch walk to bring the go-ahead run to the plate, but the next two UF batters were retired in order to put Florida down to its final out. Pinch-hitter Landon Stripling had other plans, coming through with two strikes to score Lawson with a double into the right-center field gap. Hayden Yost gave the Gators a 4-3 lead with a clutch RBI single to center field to plate pinch-runner Ashton Wilson
In the bottom of the ninth, Florida State loaded the bases with no outs on a hit-by-pitch sandwiched between a pair of walks. Grant Harrelson tied the contest with an RBI single to second base while Lodise ended the game with a walk-off grand slam to right field. Lodise's blast brough the final tally to 8-4 in favor of Florida State.
Seminoles reliever Hudson Rowan (1-0) earned the win after recording one out in the top of the ninth. He surrendered one hit and struck out one.
Philpott (0-2) received the loss after giving up five earned runs in one-plus inning of relief. He finished with two hits allowed, two walks and three strikeouts.
Biemiller pitched two-plus innings in the no-decision, allowing one run on three hits and two walks. The freshman struck out two.
FSU starter John Abraham also did not factor into the decision, pitching 2 2/3 frames of one-run ball on one hit, two walks and three strikeouts.
NOTABLES
* The 2025 season series between Florida and FSU is now tied at 1-1.
* The Gators have claimed 23 of the last 31 meetings.
* Florida is 36-23 overall and 8-11 at neutral sites in the series under Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan
* The Gators are 128-135-1 overall and 15-13 at neutral sites vs. FSU all-time.
* Evans notched Florida's only hit of the first eight innings with a leadoff single in the third.
* McDonald pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.
* McNeillie and Clemente also provided scoreless relief outings.
* The relief trio of McDonald, McNeillie and Clemente and Philpott combined for four shutout innings of one-hit relief.
* With the Gators down to their final strike in the top of the ninth, Stripling tied the game with a double to right-center field.
* Yost temporarily gave Florida the lead with a two-out, go-ahead single to center in the ninth.
* Colby Shelton failed to reach base for the first time all season, snapping his 26-game on-base streak.
* Tuesday night's official attendance was 7,341.
FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O'SULLIVAN
On the impact of leadoff walks and not closing it out…
"Yeah, we had a leadoff walk with Bailey. We had an 0-2 count, left on left and walked him. Obviously then we had an 0-2 count and we gave up a two-run homer on a non-located fastball. Our guys battled their butts off to get us the lead there in the ninth and we had it all lined up perfectly, we had 7-8-9 coming up. Walk, hit by pitch, couldn't throw a strike in a bunt situation and obviously they got the big hit there at the end. It's disappointing, I mean we had a really positive meeting before we left today, everybody was in a good spot, but unfortunately we weren't able to close it out."
On the late momentum and managing the bullpen…
"Yeah, and we managed the bullpen the best we could because we knew we were light. Luke McNeillie came in and threw an inning, Jake came in and threw a really good inning, and all we needed to do was get three outs there at the end, and unfortunately we weren't able to do it."
UP NEXT
Florida remains on the road, traveling to Oxford, Miss. For a three-game series against No. 15 Ole Miss. The series spans from Thursday, March 27 through Saturday, March 28 with Thursday's opener set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida baseball took the lead in the ninth but was unable to hold on as No. 4 Florida State walked off for an 8-4 victory at Vystar Ballpark on Tuesday night.
The Gators (18-9) mustered one hit through the first eight innings of play before the offense came to life in the final inning. Florida stuck with the Seminoles (21-3) thanks to four shutout frames from the relief trio of Caden McDonald (1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K), Luke McNeillie (1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K) and Jake Clemente (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K).
The Seminoles wasted no time opening the scoring with one run in the bottom of the first. After hitting a one-out double, Alex Lodise scored on an RBI single to center field by Drew Faurot.
UF starting pitcher McCall Biemiller rebounded for a scoreless frame in the second, raising his strikeout total to two. Florida took advantage by knotting the game at 1-1 in the top of the third. Ty Evans led off with a single to left, stole second and advanced all the way home on two subsequent wild pitches.
Following a leadoff single by Lodise in the home half of the third, Biemiller was relieved by southpaw Niko Janssens. The rookie quickly induced a 4-6-3 double play and fanned Faurot to keep the tie intact.
Florida State edged back in front in the fourth, as Brody DeLamielleure connected for a two-run shot to right to make it 3-1. McDonald successfully worked the Orange & Blue out of the inning, then retired the first two batters of the fifth to finish with 1 2/3 scoreless frames prior to being lifted. McNeillie took over from there and induced a groundout of Myles Bailey to hold the score.
In the top of the sixth, Bobby Boser walked and swiped second base with one man down. After a Blake Cyr walk and Brendan Lawson hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, Cade Kurland worked a free pass to force home Boser and bring the Gators within one run at 3-2.
McNeillie fired a clean frame in the sixth before ceding pitching duties to Clemente in the seventh. Clemente stranded a man on third by striking out Max Williams for the third out.
Closer Alex Philpottentered on the mound in the ninth. The sophomore right-hander struck out the FSU side in order to keep the Gators within one heading into the ninth.
Lawson led off the ninth with a six-pitch walk to bring the go-ahead run to the plate, but the next two UF batters were retired in order to put Florida down to its final out. Pinch-hitter Landon Stripling had other plans, coming through with two strikes to score Lawson with a double into the right-center field gap. Hayden Yost gave the Gators a 4-3 lead with a clutch RBI single to center field to plate pinch-runner Ashton Wilson
In the bottom of the ninth, Florida State loaded the bases with no outs on a hit-by-pitch sandwiched between a pair of walks. Grant Harrelson tied the contest with an RBI single to second base while Lodise ended the game with a walk-off grand slam to right field. Lodise's blast brough the final tally to 8-4 in favor of Florida State.
Seminoles reliever Hudson Rowan (1-0) earned the win after recording one out in the top of the ninth. He surrendered one hit and struck out one.
Philpott (0-2) received the loss after giving up five earned runs in one-plus inning of relief. He finished with two hits allowed, two walks and three strikeouts.
Biemiller pitched two-plus innings in the no-decision, allowing one run on three hits and two walks. The freshman struck out two.
FSU starter John Abraham also did not factor into the decision, pitching 2 2/3 frames of one-run ball on one hit, two walks and three strikeouts.
NOTABLES
* The 2025 season series between Florida and FSU is now tied at 1-1.
* The Gators have claimed 23 of the last 31 meetings.
* Florida is 36-23 overall and 8-11 at neutral sites in the series under Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan
* The Gators are 128-135-1 overall and 15-13 at neutral sites vs. FSU all-time.
* Evans notched Florida's only hit of the first eight innings with a leadoff single in the third.
* McDonald pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.
* McNeillie and Clemente also provided scoreless relief outings.
* The relief trio of McDonald, McNeillie and Clemente and Philpott combined for four shutout innings of one-hit relief.
* With the Gators down to their final strike in the top of the ninth, Stripling tied the game with a double to right-center field.
* Yost temporarily gave Florida the lead with a two-out, go-ahead single to center in the ninth.
* Colby Shelton failed to reach base for the first time all season, snapping his 26-game on-base streak.
* Tuesday night's official attendance was 7,341.
FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O'SULLIVAN
On the impact of leadoff walks and not closing it out…
"Yeah, we had a leadoff walk with Bailey. We had an 0-2 count, left on left and walked him. Obviously then we had an 0-2 count and we gave up a two-run homer on a non-located fastball. Our guys battled their butts off to get us the lead there in the ninth and we had it all lined up perfectly, we had 7-8-9 coming up. Walk, hit by pitch, couldn't throw a strike in a bunt situation and obviously they got the big hit there at the end. It's disappointing, I mean we had a really positive meeting before we left today, everybody was in a good spot, but unfortunately we weren't able to close it out."
On the late momentum and managing the bullpen…
"Yeah, and we managed the bullpen the best we could because we knew we were light. Luke McNeillie came in and threw an inning, Jake came in and threw a really good inning, and all we needed to do was get three outs there at the end, and unfortunately we weren't able to do it."
UP NEXT
Florida remains on the road, traveling to Oxford, Miss. For a three-game series against No. 15 Ole Miss. The series spans from Thursday, March 27 through Saturday, March 28 with Thursday's opener set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
