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The Gators entered the bottom ninth inning with much more than a game on the line. It was about avenging their head coach, who was ejected at home for the first time in his career. It was about stopping the bleeding on the worst SEC start in program history. It was about getting one step closer to the 13 conference wins Florida would undoubtedly need to make the postseason.

How did they respond? By striking out to close the inning with a runner stranded at second.

Florida (20-113, 1-10 SEC) fell to No. 23 Vanderbilt (23-8, 6-5 SEC) 3-2 Saturday to drop the weekend series.

Florida chose to not make any coaches or players available postgame.

Right-handed freshman Aidan King made the start on the mound for the Gators. He sat his first two batters faced before picking up what he thought was the third strikeout of the game. It wasn’t called that way and King gave up a single the next pitch. He then tried to make a pick play at first, but the challenged call was upheld as safe.

On the next pickoff attempt, King was called for a Balk to advance the runner. A bang-bang play at home eventually turned the third out. Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan emerged from the dugout to give home plate umpire John Brammer an earful. After more chatter from the dugout, O’Sullivan was ejected. He went out one more time to get his time’s worth before heading into the locker room.

The Gators went 1-2-3 through the bottom first and King induced the same result from Vandy in the top second, picking up his second strikeout of the afternoon.

Freshman infielder Brendan Lawson got things going for Florida in the bottom frame with a one-out double into deep center field. He was left stranded and UF was tied with Vanderbilt at 0-0 headed into the third inning of the afternoon.

The Commodores got on the board first once again Saturday with a leadoff blast from shortstop Jonathan Vastine in the top of the third inning. King would let up a single and a walk before getting out of the frame. Florida went 1-2-3 through the bottom third to end the inning down 1-0.

After a quiet fourth, King took the hill for the fifth. He let up a walk, advanced the runner on a wild pitch and then relinquished an RBI double with two outs. King punched the final out of the frame when Vanderbilt outfielder RJ Austin leaned into a pitch. The righty had some words as he exited the diamond towards the dugout.

The Gators carried the momentum over, scoring Landon Stripling on an RBI single from Justin Nadeau. Bobby Boser dug in with two outs and runners on first and second. He took a walk to load the bases for Colby Shelton, who would take on a new pitcher in lefty Miller Green.

RIght-handed reliever Luke McNeillie took over for King in the sixth. He plunked the leadoff hitter before striking out the first out and working a double play on his own to get out clean.

Florida took back over on offense in the bottom frame and quickly loaded the bases with one away. Nobody could get the job done, and three Gators were left stranded to keep it 2-1 headed into the closing third of the ballgame.

The Gators gave themselves the best chance of winning all day in the bottom seventh after putting two runners on with no outs and the heart of the order up. Luke Heyman came through with an RBI single to score a runner, while Nadeau was gunned at third for the second out. Florida couldn’t add any more and ended the seventh tied at 2-2.

Both teams went scoreless through the eighth, and right-hander Billy Barlow took over for McNeillie in the top ninth inning. He gave up the go-ahead home run with two outs before getting the third and turning the game over to Florida’s bats with a one-run hole to dig out of.

Florida couldn’t get it done and relinquished the series.

The Gators will look to salvage the weekend at noon tomorrow on ESPN SEC Network+.