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Gators Take Opener Against Miami with 6-2 Win

Bobby Boser and Brendan Lawson combined for four RBIs, and Florida's pitchers kept Miami scoreless over the last six innings.
Cam Parker|
Freshman Brendan Lawson smacked a solo home run off the batter's eye, giving the Florida Gators a lead it wouldn't relinquish in a 6-2 win over Miami on Friday.
Freshman Brendan Lawson smacked a solo home run off the batter's eye, giving the Florida Gators a lead it wouldn't relinquish in a 6-2 win over Miami on Friday. | Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrated

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators on Friday downed rival Miami, 6-2, at Condron Ballpark behind four combined RBIs from Bobby Boser and Brendan Lawson alongside strong work from the UF pitching staff, which combined for six scoreless innings to end the game.

Down 2-1 in the third inning, Boser, who finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and Lawson, who finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, each smacked solo home runs to give Florida a lead it wouldn't relinquish, and the duo combined with late-inning RBIs to extend the lead.

"I'm just trying to do my job up at the plate," Boser, who gave Florida a 3-2 lead with his home run. "Get the guys going, stack up at-bats behind me, in front of me. Whatever the game asks of us. Just trying to piece good at-bats and do what our offensive can do. I think we got a lot to prove with the stick."

Starter Liam Peterson shined in six innings of work with seven strikeouts and only four hits and two earned runs, and relievers Frank Menendez, Luke McNeillie and Alex Philpott shut the Hurricanes down with only one hit over the final three innings.

However, Florida's dominance wasn't immediate.

Miami found success at the plate early as third baseman Daniel Cuvet knocked a one-out double down the third base line in the first inning, and shortstop Jake Ogden scored him off a two-out single. Peterson recovered nicely in the second, though, with only nine total pitches and two strikeouts in the frame.

Florida's offense, meanwhile, made its first impact in the second. Lawson (HBP), Cade Kurland (single) and Blake Cyr (single) loaded the bases before Luke Heyman drew a walk to put the Gators on the board, tying the game 1-1.

Despite the bases still being loaded, the Gators failed to capitalize as Miami pitcher Nick Roberts struck out Ty Evans and forced Kyle Jones into a groundout to the shortstop.

Miami faced a similar issue in the third with a single, hit batter and intentional walk to load the bases. A wild pitch from Peterson scored one and put two runners in scoring position, but Peterson recovered with a strikeout to end the inning and stop and further damage.

From there, the sophomore shined with three-straight scoreless frames of work from the fourth to the sixth inning, only allowing one base runner in that time to end his outing.

"He did a heck of a job. Probably the biggest takeaway for him tonight is even after the first inning when they scored, he kind of kept it together," head coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. "He ran his pitch count up to close to 30 pitches there in the first. Maybe last year, he wouldn't have been able to keep it together for six innings, and he was outstanding. He set the tone for the weekend."

Replacing Peterson, Menendez picked up right where he left off with three-straight strikeouts in the seventh inning after a leadoff single from Miami's Todd Hudson. McNeillie and Philpott each added scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth innings with no baserunners.

Meanwhile, Florida took advantage of Miami's lost runs in the third inning as Boser smacked a leadoff home run to left field, tying the game 2-2. Two batters later, Lawson knocked one off the batter's eye to give the Gators a 3-2 lead.

"I'll tell you what. I said it multiple times. He's just an advanced hitter for his age," O'Sullivan said of Lawson. "We just have a true belief in his ability, and to be able to play in his first rivalry game and to have the at-bats that he had, he was just outstanding."

That Gators added another in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings as Hayden Yost scored Lawson off a sacrifice fly-out to center field in the sixth, Lawson plated Boser with an RBI single in the seventh and Boser scored Yost with an RBI single in the eighth.

"A goal coming into the season was being able to manufacture runs and score runs in different ways," O'Sullivan said. "We had a couple home runs tonight, and we played some small ball. That's been a main focus for us offensively coming into the season."

Bobby Boser
Bobby Boser went 3-for-4 with two RBIs as the Florida Gators beat rival Miami, 6-2, on Friday. | Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrated

Next Up

The Gators and the Hurricanes on Saturday will meet again for Game Two of the series, which begins at 4:30 p.m. Streaming coverage can be found on SEC Network+. Pierce Coppola will get the start on the mound for Florida.

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Cam Parker
CAM PARKER

Cam Parker is a reporter covering the Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers and Clemson Tigers with a degree in journalism from the University of Florida. He also covers and broadcasts Alachua County high school sports with The Prep Zone and Mainstreet Daily News. When he isn't writing, he enjoys listening to '70s music such as The Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, binge-watching shows and playing with his cat, Chester, and dog, Rufus.

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