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It’s every little kid’s dream to come up to bat with the bases loaded and a chance to send your team to the World Series. Florida’s Michael Robertson etched his name into Florida lore by doing just that. Robertson came up with the bases loaded and his team trailing by one in the bottom of the thirteenth inning. Robertson sent a 1-0 pitch to the left-center gap that scored Jalen Guy (pinch ran for Luke Heyman) and Tyler Shelnut to send the Gators to Omaha.

Caglianone got the scoring started in the bottom of the first with a two-run blast to center that scored Cade Kurkand and himself. The ball cleared the batter’s eye in center and was estimated at 432-feet.

With a runner on second and two outs in the top of the second, Clemson’s Nolan Nawrocki hit a slow roller between the mound and first which was fielded by Caglianone. As the Florida southpaw extended to tag out Nawrocki, the Clemson freshman lowers his shoulder creating additional contact. The benches both cleared, and a single ejection was made after a lengthy review. Clemson first baseman Jack Crighton was sent to the showers for making contact with an umpire during the altercation.

Clemson, however, took over the momentum. With their fans providing a loud commentary of boos (for Florida players) and cheers (for their own), the Tigers seized control of the game and took the lead in the third inning. Caglianone gave up a leadoff walk and two batters later a double and a home run in consecutive pitches.

Florida tied the game up when Colby Shelton singled in Kurland. The Gators added to the lead in the fifth when Shelton came up with a bases loaded single that plated two more runs (Kurland, Caglianone).

Clemson wasn’t done yet, though. The Tigers struck in the top of the sixth with Jimmy Obertop’s second home run of the super regional.

Brody Donay followed the Clemson run with a two-run shot to increase the Florida lead to 7-4.

Clemson added a pair of runs in the top of the eighth to cut the deficit to 7-6, but the Gators countered with a two-run homer by Ashton Wilson following an intentional walk to Caglianone.

Down to their last three outs, Clemson continued to fight. Cam Cannarella hit a moonshot of a three-run homer off Brandon Neely to even the score and send the game into extra innings.

In the bottom of the tenth, the Gators were threatening with two outs when Cannarella made an unbelievable play in center, back tracking to the wall, making leaping basket style catch, ala Willie Mays.

The Tigers’ leadoff hitter Alden Mathes led off the thirteenth with a solo home run that sent the crowd into a fever pitch. As Mathes was trotting around the bases, the umpires began to confer in the middle of the diamond and tossed out someone on the Clemson bench (Leggett). This enraged head coach Erik Bakich who also got ejected and walked off pumping up the crowd.

While the crowd was hyped, the Gators bats refused to go down silently. Heyman and Shelnut, who entered the thirteenth inning a combined 0-11, each singles to get things started for Florida. Dale Thomas laid a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Clemson then intentionally walked Donay to set up Robertson as the hero.

Florida mustered up twelve hits in the game but just Wilson, Shelton, and Robertson recorded more than one. Caglianone was intentionally walked three times.

On the mound, Caglianone threw 5.2 innings, allowing four runs, before turning it over to Jake Clemente. Clemente struck out the side but allowed two runs in his 1.1 inning appearance. With two runners on in the seventh, Kevin O’Sullivan went to Brandon Neely. Neely allowed one of the inherited runners to score but ended the seventh with a 7-6 lead. Neely went to to throw four innings despite allowing the three run homer in the ninth. Luke McNeillie finished the game with two innings on the mound and took the win (4-6).

Florida will travel out to Omaha, somewhere they have been nine of the last fourteen years. They will take on Texas A&M in the opener. The Aggies defeated Oregon to advance to the College World Series.