Heyman's Grand Slam Clinches Florida's Fourth-Straight Midweek Win

Luke Heyman plated six of Florida's 12 runs in a dominating win over Georgia Southern.

Jun 19, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Florida Gators catcher Luke Heyman (28) hits a 2 RBI single against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Gators got back on track Tuesday night, run-ruling Georgia Southern, 12-1, in seven innings at Condron Family Ballpark.

With the bases loaded and just one out, first baseman Luke Heyman absolutely scorched the first pitch he saw for a no-doubt grand slam to end the game, which also marked the team's third-straight walk-off win at home.

Heyman finished 3-for-4 at the plate with his 10th home run of the season and six RBIs. 

“I was just ready, on time,” Heyman said. “I don’t even know what kind of pitch it was. It was just over the middle of the plate, and I put a good swing on it.”

LUKE HEY CALLS GAME 🗣️

3️⃣-straight walk-off winners at home! pic.twitter.com/F76Ov5am1Q

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) April 23, 2025

Other Gators that swung the bats well Tuesday were shortstop Colby Shelton, second baseman Justin Nadeau and designated hitter Brendan Lawson, who all recorded two hits with at least one RBI. Lawson and Shelton logged two each.

Florida had three big innings with the bats against Georgia Southern, scoring three runs in the second, four in the fifth and four in the seventh despite only one extra-base hit on the night with Heyman's grand slam.

On the defensive side of things, the Gators were able to limit Georgia Southern to just one run across seven innings in a combined effort from five pitchers. Florida also struck out seven total battlers while stranding 12 baserunners, which Gators head coach Kevin O’Sullivan coupled with the word “weird.”

“It was kind of a weird night that way,” O’Sullivan said. “We still continue to do things that create some issues. We score three in the bottom of the second and walk the leadoff man in third. We score four in the fifth and walk off the leadoff man in the sixth.”

Starting the night was righty Alex Philpott, who managed only two innings with three strike outs and one earned run. Caden McDonald, Jackson Barberi, McCall Biemiller and Christian Rodriguez followed Philpott with each recording at least one strike out while throwing no more than two innings.

Florida, fighting for a postseason spot, has now won eight of its last nine games with back-to-back series wins and four-straight midweek victories.

“I think compared to where we were at for a bit, we’re definitely trending in the right direction on both sides," Lawson said.

Up next for the Gators will be their weekend series against No. 5 Arkansas at home that begins on Friday and runs through Sunday. 

“I’m sure they know that Arkansas is a complete team,” O’Sullivan said when asked about the message to his team heading into the Arkansas series. “They’re very talented. Obviously, we are going to have to play our best. Simple as that.”