Gators Lose to FSU on Walk-Off, Losing Streak Continues

Jacksonville, Fla. — The Florida Gators continued to stumble on Tuesday, losing to Florida State on a walk-off grand slam by Alex Lodise, 8-4. They drop their fourth straight.

It was an eventful one. The Gators made a late comeback in this contest. They trailed 3-2 in the top of the ninth and took the lead ahead of disaster striking.

However, as good as closer Alex Philpott was in the eighth, he struggled heavily in the final inning. He began by loading the bases with two free passes and a hit batter. Then, an infield single tied the game, and Lodise ended it.

But before the ninth inning pandemonium, it was a calmer game.

The Gators bats started this game going down in order in the first inning. In the bottom half, the pitching still looked rough as well.

Despite striking out the first guy he faced, freshman McCall Biemiller struggled with the next few Seminoles. Following the strikeout, the next two Seminoles’ hitters logged a double and a walk. Then, an error by the Gators shortstop Colby Shelton plated the first run of the game.

Florida State would have gotten more in the inning if not for a web gem of a play from outfielder Hayden Yost, who made a leaping catch over his shoulder out in right field.

Florida had their chance at tying the game just a couple of innings later, which they converted. After leading the third off with a single to left field, Gators outfielder Ty Evans eventually made his way around the bases after stealing second and two wild pitches from the Seminoles pitcher. This knotted the game at 1-1 for when Biemiller headed back onto the mound.

The starter's day would only last one more batter. Despite navigating his way through the second with ease, Biemiller gave up a leadoff single in the third inning, which forced head coach Kevin O’Sullivan to make a call to the bullpen for fellow lefty Niko Janssens. Biemiller finished the day completing two innings, striking out two batters and allowing one run.

Things started strong for Janssens, who worked a double-play to start his day. And while he would finish the third without any runs, the same couldn’t be said in the next inning.

He issued a walk to begin the fourth and followed it by allowing a two-run homer over the right field wall, giving Florida State a 3-1 lead. He would be pulled from the mound right after. Replacing Janssens was right-handed Caden McDonald. The righty did close the inning before any more runs crossed home plate.

However, his time on the rubber would be somewhat short. McDonald managed to strike out four of the five Seminoles faced, but after having a batter reach in the fifth inning, O’Sullivan brought in righty Luke McNeillie to end the frame.

In the following inning, the Gators had their best chance at scoring runs since the third inning and an opportunity to tie the game. Without recording a hit, the offense loaded the bases with two outs for second baseman Cade Kurland. Fortunately for the Gators, another walk was handed out, and that plated a run to put the score at 3-2, still in favor of Florida State. This was all they would get in the sixth, though.

The score stayed this way to end the sixth as well, thanks to McNeillie posting another zero for his team. But McNeillie’s relief appearance ended after that as right-hander Jake Clemente was the next out of the bullpen to begin and end the seventh.

That was the only inning Clemente would see as the Gators went to closer Alex Philpott in the eighth, who made quick work in the inning and struck out all three batters he faced.

It was good that Philpott kept the score the same going into the ninth, too. That’s because they found what could’ve been the game-winning runs in the final frame.

The rally from Florida started with a pinch-hit double from Landon Stripling. Down to his final strike, the lefty laced one into left-center field with Brendan Lawson on first base. Then, with some help from the Florida State center fielder bobbling the ball, Lawson crossed home plate.

After that, Stripling was replaced with pinch-runner Ashton Wilson. Wilson was scored by a Hayden Yost bloop single in center field, giving them the aforementioned late lead.

Despite all the momentum, the Gators couldn’t hold on.

Florida’s next time on the diamond will be when they take on Ole Miss in a three-game series that begins on Friday.

More From Gators Illustrated