Gators Sink Dolphins in Jacksonville Exhibition
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Gators defeated the Jacksonville Dolphins by a 5-1 tally in a fall exhibition contest at Vystar Ballpark on Friday night.
Six UF pitchers combined to limit Jacksonville to one run (zero earned) on just four hits while racking up 13 strikeouts. Offensively, the Gators were led by Cade Kurland (2-for-4) and Brendan Lawson (2-for-5) while Ethan Surowiec (1-for-4) and Landon Stripling (1-for-2) swatted home runs.
The Gators and Dolphins traded zeros in the first two frames, as UF starter Liam Peterson blanked the Jacksonville offense while striking out two batters. Florida then proceeded to break into the scoring column in the top of the third, as Justin Nadeau (0-for-3), Kyle Jones (1-for-3) and Kurland set the table with a walk and consecutive singles, respectively. With the bases loaded, Lawson plated Nadeau on a fielder’s choice to open a 1-0 lead.
With the lead in hand, sophomore righty Aidan King assumed pitching duties in the bottom of the third inning. King navigated around a two-out double by Jonah Shields while striking out one to produce a scoreless frame.
In the bottom of the fourth, Jacksonville scratched a lone run across to knot the game at 1-1. With two outs and a pair of JU runners in scoring position, a passed ball allowed Sam Grunberg to scamper home for the tying run.
In a brand-new ballgame, junior right-hander Russell Sandefer bounced back after allowing the unearned run to strand the bases loaded for a rebound zero in the home half of the fifth.
Making his Orange & Blue debut, Surowiec announced his addition to the UF lineup with authority in the top of the sixth. The junior slugger broke the stalemate with an opposite field, solo home run to right to give Florida a 2-1 advantage. Hayden Yost later followed with a double, but was left stranded on second.
Right-handed reliever Luke McNeillie held the Dolphins in check in bottom-six, opening the door for the Gators to extend their lead. Stripling did the honors in pinch-hit fashion, mashing a two-run homer to right field to push the UF advantage to 4-1.
McNeillie chucked another zero to maintain the three-run edge through seven innings. The junior ended with two shutout frames, allowing just one hit and one walk against four strikeouts.
Righty Jackson Barberi took over on the mound in the bottom of the eighth and blanked the Dolphins before handing the ball over to fellow right-hander Joshua Whritenour. The redshirt freshman churned out a scoreless ninth while stranding a runner on third to close it out for Florida.
Sandefer registered the victory. He finished with two innings pitched with one unearned run allowed on two hits, three walks and two strikeouts.
Ben Baker-Livingston was saddled with the loss for JU, pitching three frames with three earned runs allowed on five hits, one walk and one strikeout. He surrendered both Gators home runs.
Peterson did not factor into the decision, tossing two shutout innings in a controlled start. The right-hander surrendered just two walks and struck out two batters.
JU starter Alex Walsh also received a no-decision. He pitched three innings of one-run ball on three hits, two walks and five strikeouts.
Six UF pitchers combined to limit Jacksonville to one run (zero earned) on just four hits while racking up 13 strikeouts. Offensively, the Gators were led by Cade Kurland (2-for-4) and Brendan Lawson (2-for-5) while Ethan Surowiec (1-for-4) and Landon Stripling (1-for-2) swatted home runs.
The Gators and Dolphins traded zeros in the first two frames, as UF starter Liam Peterson blanked the Jacksonville offense while striking out two batters. Florida then proceeded to break into the scoring column in the top of the third, as Justin Nadeau (0-for-3), Kyle Jones (1-for-3) and Kurland set the table with a walk and consecutive singles, respectively. With the bases loaded, Lawson plated Nadeau on a fielder’s choice to open a 1-0 lead.
With the lead in hand, sophomore righty Aidan King assumed pitching duties in the bottom of the third inning. King navigated around a two-out double by Jonah Shields while striking out one to produce a scoreless frame.
In the bottom of the fourth, Jacksonville scratched a lone run across to knot the game at 1-1. With two outs and a pair of JU runners in scoring position, a passed ball allowed Sam Grunberg to scamper home for the tying run.
In a brand-new ballgame, junior right-hander Russell Sandefer bounced back after allowing the unearned run to strand the bases loaded for a rebound zero in the home half of the fifth.
Making his Orange & Blue debut, Surowiec announced his addition to the UF lineup with authority in the top of the sixth. The junior slugger broke the stalemate with an opposite field, solo home run to right to give Florida a 2-1 advantage. Hayden Yost later followed with a double, but was left stranded on second.
Right-handed reliever Luke McNeillie held the Dolphins in check in bottom-six, opening the door for the Gators to extend their lead. Stripling did the honors in pinch-hit fashion, mashing a two-run homer to right field to push the UF advantage to 4-1.
McNeillie chucked another zero to maintain the three-run edge through seven innings. The junior ended with two shutout frames, allowing just one hit and one walk against four strikeouts.
Righty Jackson Barberi took over on the mound in the bottom of the eighth and blanked the Dolphins before handing the ball over to fellow right-hander Joshua Whritenour. The redshirt freshman churned out a scoreless ninth while stranding a runner on third to close it out for Florida.
Sandefer registered the victory. He finished with two innings pitched with one unearned run allowed on two hits, three walks and two strikeouts.
Ben Baker-Livingston was saddled with the loss for JU, pitching three frames with three earned runs allowed on five hits, one walk and one strikeout. He surrendered both Gators home runs.
Peterson did not factor into the decision, tossing two shutout innings in a controlled start. The right-hander surrendered just two walks and struck out two batters.
JU starter Alex Walsh also received a no-decision. He pitched three innings of one-run ball on three hits, two walks and five strikeouts.
NOTABLES
- Florida improved to 5-1 in fall exhibitions in Jacksonville since the tradition first started against Georgia in 2019.
- Florida rose to 2-0 vs. JU in fall exhibition games in Jacksonville.
- The Gators claimed the inaugural matchup vs. JU in 2024 after going 3-1 across four exhibitions vs. Georgia.
- Tonight’s game marked the fifth-straight year of fall competition for the Gators in Jacksonville and the sixth in the last seven falls (2019, 2021-25)
- Surowiec hit his first home run in Orange & Blue to give Florida a 2-1 lead in the sixth.
- Stripling connected for a two-run shot to extend the lead to 4-1 in the seventh.
- Sandefer earned the win in his unofficial Gators debut.
- Five Gators threw scoreless outings.
- The Gators tallied 13 strikeouts across nine innings on the mound.
- Friday night’s official attendance was 760.
UP NEXT
Florida returns home to host Georgia Southern in its second and final fall exhibition game, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. at Condron Family Ballpark.
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