Gators, Caglianone Roughed Up By Cowboys

After falling to the Oklahoma State Cowboys 7-1, the Florida Gators now find themselves in an elimination game and rematch against Nebraska on Sunday.

Recipe for success for the Cowboys

It started on the mound for the Cowboys.

Oklahoma State’s starter Brian Holiday was magnificent for his team on Sunday by going the complete game and getting the win for his squad. The Tampa, Fla. native showed a range of pitches and kept the Gators guessing all night resulting in double-digit (10) strikeouts.

Moreover, it was a complete game with just two hits allowed by Holiday. And if not for a solo homer from Jac Caglianone in the ninth, it would’ve been a shutout as well.

Also, it makes it easier to pitch when your teammates get the long ball rolling.

Oklahoma State hitters muscled five homers on the day and scored seven runs to make it a relaxing outing for their starting pitcher.

Arguably their best hitter this season, Nolan Schubart, hit two of the five home runs against the Gators.

How it went down

On the mound for the Gators on Saturday was Caglianone, but it didn’t start the way he wanted.

In what was predicted to be a game full of long balls for either team, Oklahoma State came out with their power showing in the first inning.

They launched back-to-back homers off Caglianone to take a 2-0 lead and almost made it three, but fan interference made the third hit of the inning a double to left-center field.

Fortunately for Florida, that is where the scoring stopped for the Cowboys as the Gators got the third out before any more runs were plated.

However, the luck was very short-lived. In the third inning, the Cowboys popped another pair of long balls to make it 4-0. Caglianone had only given up four home runs all season. He gave up four to the Cowboys.

It got scary again in the fifth for the Gators after an error from their catcher Brody Donay allowed Oklahoma State to load the bases with two outs, but the next batter struck out to keep the deficit at four runs.

The fifth marked the end of the night for Jac Caglianone. He went five innings and struck out eight but gave up seven hits and four earned runs. All four runs came via the long ball.

Oklahoma State added to Florida’s pain again in the seventh with three more runs that put them up 7-0.

Florida finally got on the board with a Jac Caglianone moonshot to center field in the ninth to make it 7-1.

However, it was too little, too late for the Gators as they lost 7-1 against the Cowboys.

Gators must be perfect from here on out

With the loss to Oklahoma State, Florida has no room for error.

They’ll get Nebraska for the second time in this regional on Sunday to begin the day.

If they come out on top against the Cornhuskers, then they find themselves in a grudge match against the Cowboys in the second half of the day. The Gators will need to win both tomorrow for the chance at a final bite of the apple on Monday.

The Gators and Cornhuskers have a starting time of 2:00 p.m. for the first game on Sunday. This game will be aired on ESPN+.

For whoever wins that, they are set to tee off at 7:00 p.m. against the Cowboys.

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