ChompTalk.com

Despite their worst regular season record since head coach Kevin O’Sullivan took over, the Florida Gators are just one win away from a fourteenth berth into the College World Series. The Gators defeated Clemson 10-7 to claim the all-important first game of the best-of-three series.

Florida turned to freshman phenom Liam Peterson to open the Clemson Regional. Peterson had pitched really well since a rocky opening month to the season.

In the first inning, Peterson struggled with locating his pitches and walked four batters as a result. Additionally, a wild pitch also plated a run and the Tigers possessed a 2-0 lead after just one at-bat.

Peterson allowed a leadoff triple followed by a single in the second inning that spelled the end of his day. In all, he threw 53 pitches, only 26 of which were strikes.

Fisher Jameson took over on the mound and kept the Gators in it.

With Florida trailing 3-0, Stillwater Regional MVP Ashton Wilson got Florida on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly that scored Cade Kurland. The Tigers rebounded with a solo homer by Jimmy Obertop to make it a 4-1 game through three.

The Gators tacked on a run in the fourth as Tyler Shelnut hit his fifteenth homer of the year to cut it to a two-run advantage.

The fifth inning saw an offensive explosion from Florida. It started with a leadoff walk by Robertson. A single by Kurland brought Caglianone up with runners on the corners. Caglianone took the second offering of the at-bat the other way, just clearing the fence for a home run that put Florida ahead 5-4.

But the Gators weren’t done there. In total, they put up seven runs in the inning and carried a 9-4 lead into the home half of the fifth.

Jameson surrendered a solo homer in the fifth that cut the lead to 9-5.

The Gators found themselves in trouble in the sixth. A walk and a single put a pair of Tigers on the base paths and Brandon Neely was forced to come in to get nine outs. Though the two inherited runners scored, the damage was limited.

Neely was nasty the rest of the way. Completing the win for the Gators with his fourth save of 2024.

Sophomore Luke Heyman hit a moonshot of a home run to lead off the ninth inning and provid an important insurance run.

Neely struck out two and walked one in the ninth to seal the win.

Florida and Clemson will play Sunday in an elimination game for the Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 PM.