On a perfect Friday night in Gainesville, a rivalry was renewed between the eighth ranked Florida Gators and the Miami Hurricanes. At Condron Ballpark, the Gators took back the lead in the third inning and never faltered, taking the opening game 6-2.
The Gator bats came alive in the third inning. Facing Nick Robert, UF’s Bobby Boser smacked a solo home run over the wall in left field to tie the game at two. Three batters later, Brendan Lawson belted a 415-foot moonshot to center, putting the Gators in front 3-2.
After transferring to UF over the summer, former Miami Hurricane Blake Cyr played his first game on the other side of the rivalry. Against his former team, Cyr went 1-for-3, with a single and a strikeout.
UF’s Liam Peterson entered Friday’s matchup not allowing a run in his first 10 innings of work. Against the ’Canes, the sophomore starter battled through six innings on the bump. In 95 pitches, Peterson allowed two runs on four hits, walking one and striking out seven batters.
After retiring the side in eight pitches to end his outing, Peterson roared into his glove, screaming as he walked off the mound to massive ovation and congratulations from fans and teammates.
The Hurricane bullpen, which had been dominant in the first nine games of the year, struggled in the final three frames. After Robert left the game, Carson Fischer, AJ Ciscar, Robert Evans and Tate DeRias were unable to hold the UF lead at one. In three innings of relief, the bullpen allowed three runs on five hits, walking and hitting three batters in the process.
The Miami bats struggled against the strong UF pitching staff. After netting two runs on three hits in the first three innings, the Hurricanes tallied just two hits and no runs in the final six frames. With runners on base on Friday, UM went 1-for-11.
In his first start of the rivalry, Robert pitched well, but getting bit by the home run bug in the third inning was the difference in the ballgame. In five frames of work, the sophomore allowed three runs on four hits, walking two and striking out seven. He threw 82 pitches, with 51 as strikes.
The Gators got some much needed insurance in the three frames following Robert’s departure. In the sixth, Hayden Yost brought in a run on a sac-fly. In the seventh, Lawson brought in his second RBI of the game with a single to left. In the eighth, Boser brought in his second RBI and third hit of the night with a single up the middle.
In the third inning with the bases loaded and two out, the Hurricanes took advantage of a Gators’ mistake. Facing Bobby Marsh, Peterson spiked a fastball in the dirt, allowing Michael Torres to come home from third, allowing Miami to take a 2-1 lead.
Miami got the scoring going early in the first. Following a double down the left field line from Daniel Cuvet, Jake Ogden lined an RBI single through the left side.
With the opening series loss on Friday, the Gators have now tied the all-time series with the Hurricanes, at 135-135-1. UM has struggled in recent years against the rival UF, as the Gators entered this weekend winning nine of the last 10 series between the two programs.
The Hurricanes will look to even the series with the eighth ranked Florida Gators with another matchup on Saturday. Miami’s Griffin Hugus will toe the slab in Gainesville for the Hurricanes, facing the lefty Pierce Coppola. The game at Condron Ballpark will begin at 4:30 p.m. on the SEC Network +.