GAINESVILLE — Florida’s home-run barrage offset a bullpen collapse as the Gators survived a dramatic NCAA Regional opener to set up a possible meeting with rival Miami.
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Star shortstop Brendan Lawson’s walk-off home run to open the bottom of the ninth inning carried Florida past Rider 8-7 as the No. 9 Gators (40-19) avoided a crushing defeat during their first regional game at home since 2023. Lawson drove a 2-1 pitch from senior Christian Aiello to center field to cap a wild finish.
On Saturday, Florida will host the winner of Friday night’s Miami (38-18) vs. Troy (32-29) game.
Kevin O’Sullivan’s team was cruising along, leading 4-0 entering the eighth inning after No. 3 starter Russell Sandefer rose to the occasion and delivered a gem. Florida’s batters supported him with two home runs, beginning with center fielder Kyle Jones’ solo shot in the opening inning.
But the Gators were just getting started with the long ball on a day they hit five.
Meanwhile, Rider (33-19), a veteran group from Lawrenceville, New Jersey, featuring 13 seniors, finally began to warm up at the plate. Facing a full count and two outs with the bases loaded, Broncs’ senior outfielder Anthony Paskell smacked a pitch by sophomore Jackson Barberi over the left-field fence to tie the game at 4-4.
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O’Sullivan sent in top reliever Joshua Whritenour, but the redshirt freshman allowed a double followed by a home run from junior catcher Nick Shuhet to push Rider’s advantage to 6-4.
Florida responded with a home run from Caden McDonald to open the inning, a triple by catcher Karson Bowen and home run by second baseman Cade Kurland after a strikeout by first baseman Landon Stripling, who had homered in the sixth inning to make it 4-0.
O’Sullivan had given Sandefer the nod over SEC Pitcher of the Year Aidan King and veteran Liam Peterson in order to save them for bigger games during the double-elimination regional.
Sandefer allowed just two hits and struck out five during 5.2 innings after lasting just an inning in his last appearance during the SEC tournament semifinals against Georgia. The Tampa native in his first season at UF was hit by a line drive against Georgia and left the game.
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Edgar Thompson can be reached at [email protected]