Friday the Gators took on St. Mary’s for the first time in program history. The game ended in memorable fashion as Colby Shelton won it for the Gators in the tenth inning with a three-run homerun. Final score 12-11 in ten innings.
Cade Fisher took the mound for the Gators.
The Gaels got on the board first with a 2-0 lead in the first.
In the bottom of the first, Kurland reached base by a walk. Caglianone got things going with a single to left field. Heyman followed up with a double to score Kurland, 2-1. Colby Shelton tied the game, 2-2, with a single to right field, Caglianone scored.
Evans gave the Gators a 3-2 lead with a single to right field, still in the first.
St. Mary’s put two more on the board to retake the lead in the second. Now up 4-3.
Kurland responded with a triple in the bottom of the second. Caglianone tied the game, 4-4, with an RBI groundout to score Kurland.
Donay gave the Gators the lead in the third with a 2 RBI double, scoring Shelnut and Evans. Gators take a 6-4 lead.
The Gaels added another in the top of the fourth, but the Gators still led 6-5.
Shelton homered for the seventh time this season in the bottom of the fourth to add another run for the Gators, up 7-5.
Slater came in to pitch in the top of the sixth. Fisher finished the day with 102 pitches thrown and eight strikeouts.
Evans added another with a RBI single in the sixth. Gators up 8-5.
Slater kept the Gaels scoreless in the seventh. Kurland added another run with an RBI single, scoring Donay. Gators with some breathing room up 9-5.
Philpott came in to pitch in the eighth but was quickly replaced by Neely. St. Mary’s kept themselves in the game with a run. Gators still up 9-6.
In the ninth, the Gaels showed that they should not be counted out yet, tying the game 9-9. The Gators couldn’t respond. The contest would be decided by extra innings.
St. Mary’s added two runs in the tenth to take a 11-9 lead.
Going in the bottom of the tenth, the Gators were in a need-to-score situation. Armando Albert, who went in for Kurland in the seventh, doubled to get things start and Caglianone reached by a walk. Colby Shelton emerged as the hero of the night, hitting a walk-off three run homerun to end the night.
Final score, Gators win 12-11.
Game two will take place on Saturday at 1 p.m.