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The Florida Gators continued its winning ways Friday night and showed off the full potential of their small-ball approach against the Dayton Flyers.

No. 10 Florida (5-0) defeated Dayton (2-3) 13-1 in the first game of the weekend series. The Gators only left the yard once and scored on walks, wild pitches and sacrifice hits eight times. Six Gators have multi-stolen base games already this season.

“It was a good night for us,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “You’ve gotta have the skillset to do this obviously, and push the issue offensively.”

Florida got on the board early with a two-run homer from Bobby Boser. It marked his third of the season and put the Gators up 2-0 in the bottom of the first. Junior infielder Cade Kurland tacked on another run on a groundout to third which scored Colby Shelton. By the time Luke Heyman struck out looking to end the first frame, the Gators led 3-0.

The Gators continued to play small ball, adding another run with a Yost groundout to third, scoring Blake Cyr, in the bottom second. Dayton starting pitcher Chris Peguero then caused some self-inflicted wounds, advancing Boser to third on a failed pickoff and scoring him on a wild pitch.

Kurland would knock in an RBI single to take a 6-0 lead before Dayton finally made the inning’s third out.

Florida ace Liam Peterson had a solid start, working three scoreless innings and allowing just one hit in the process. It was a different approach than his 12-strikeout performance last week, fanning just two batters headed into the fourth.

The righty would load the bases before striking out to more to close the frame and end his evening. Peterson finished with five strikeouts, two hits, two walks and the win in his second-straight scoreless performance.

“That was my first time pitching in that cold of weather,” Peterson said. “It wasn’t fun, but it was something to learn for the future… glad I grew up in Florida.”

A Brendan Lawson RBI single in the bottom of the fourth made it 7-0, but Dayton left Peguero on the hill to get the final out. He got the job done and finished his night with eight hits, seven earned runs, seven strikeouts and two walks.

Freshman righty Jackson Barberi pitched one inning of relief in the fifth, allowing two hits and striking out one before being replaced by Caden McDonald in the sixth. He’d let up an RBI single for Dayton’s first run of the game and was replaced by Christian Rodriguez

“We got some other guys we need to get out there, but they’ll get their opportunity,” O’Sullivan said.

UF would expand its lead to 13-1 and enter run rule territory in the bottom sixth with help from a Cyr two-run double and some more small-ball scoring.

Rodriguez entered with a chance to close the game in his UF debut. He struck out two to secure the win.

Florida and Dayton are set for game two at 4 p.m. tomorrow. The game will stream on SEC ESPN+.