Florida baseball hit a season-high five home runs on Tuesday night en route to an 8-4 victory over the North Florida Ospreys, completing the two-game season series sweep.
In the first matchup, the Gators used seven different arms and squashed a comeback with a walk-off win on a wild pitch. Florida used nine pitchers this time and put the game away earlier with a five-run sixth. Bobby Boser was the big bat of the night with two homers, including a grand slam during that critical sixth frame. Boser’s first home run came in the third, a solo shot to lead off the inning.
Brody Donay, Justin Nadeau and Colby Shelton all hit solo home runs as well. Donay’s came in the sixth before UNF loaded up the bases for Boser, and Nadeau and Shelton ignited the offense early in the first. Nadeau hit his on the second Ospreys pitch of the ball game, and Shelton only needed to see two pitches as well after Boser struck out. Every Florida starter hit safely, besides Ty Evans and Brendan Lawson.
Jackson Barberi made his third start of the season but struggled with command. He walked three, struck out three and hit a batter, lasting just 1 2/3 innings. Kevin O’Sullivan left him in to figure things out after a leadoff homer in the first, but putting two men on forced him to go to the bullpen. McCall Biemiller was the first man out of the ‘pen but didn’t last long. After walking the first batter he saw, Biemiller stranded the bases loaded with a punchout; however, his day ended early a leadoff walk in the third.
Next up was Caden McDonald, who Sully said “slowed the game down” for Florida. He was solid, throwing two innings of one-hit ball with two strikeouts and, more importantly, no walks. Carlos Montsdeoca came out to start the fifth and got hit hard, allowing a home run and a double through three batters faced.
With the game close at 4-3, O’Sullivan had to come back out and turn to Alex Philpott to get out of the jam. A throwing error ended up scoring the inherited runner on second, but Philpott induced three ground balls in a row to get the job done. Philpott hit the leadoff man in the sixth after working an 0-2 count, and a sacrifice bunt moved the man over to second. A single put runners on the corners, but Jake Clemente came in and got a big strikeout for out No. 2, followed by a ground out to end the threat.
Fortunately, the big sixth put Florida out in front after that and the bullpen didn’t make too many mistakes for the rest of the game. Clemente worked through a clean seventh, losing a full-count battle to walk the only baserunner of the inning.
Christian Rodriguez pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, including two strikeouts to bookend the inning. Niko Janssens came out to close the game, but a leadoff walk brought Billy Barlow in. Barlow gave up a double to the first man he saw but induced three straight outs to end the game. Florida traded a run for out No. 2, but that’s fine with a 5-run lead.
Florida is going to go closer by committee moving forward, with Barlow, Clemente and Philpott in the mix.
The Gators are back at home Friday to open up a three-game series with the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
#Florida #Gators #baseball #UNF #Ospreys #game #recap
