What Florida Associate HC Tom Slater Said After Gators' Loss to UAB in Season Opener

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Friday the 13th brought a new level of fright as the 13th-ranked Florida Gators baseball team shockingly fell to UAB in extra innings, 9-7. The Gators, praised for its reloaded pitching staff behind aces Liam Peterson and Aidan King to pair with its revamped offense under associate head coach Tom Slater, were anything but what was expected.

"Said, guys, we're good baseball team. It sucks to lose on opening night. Sucks to lose any time," Slater, who was making his first appearance on UF's staff in his second stint with the program, said. "And the fact that we dropped the opener, that's no fun, but we have some things we have to clean up... Told them, I believe in them. Told them this is we're a really good baseball team, and that, as much as it stunk to lose tonight, come out tomorrow, win two games."

Peterson, especially, failed to live up to his All-American billing in his first start of the season.

The junior righty lasted just 3 1/3 innings, giving up three hits, five walks and four earned runs, as the Gators trailed, 5-2, by the time he was replaced by Notre Dame transfer Ricky Reeth.

"That's not the Liam we expect to see, or the Liam that we usually see," Slater said after the loss. "He's been outstanding all preseason, and it wasn't, wasn't as crisp tonight, but we know that he'll bounce back his next outing, and we'll see the Liam we're used to seeing."

Two runs came in the first, one of which off a dropped ball in the infield by first baseman Landon Stripling, while three came in the third, headlined by a two-run single from Alex Cheeseman. Peterson was eventually replaced in the fourth inning after recording a strikeout but not before he committed a throwing error to first.

Despite veteran presence all across the infield, Florida had three errors on the night, two of which came from pitchers. Walks also hurt with Peterson having five of Florida's eight, as UAB scored nine runs on just six hits.

Reeth, however, kept Florida in it. Making his Gators debut, he pitched 3 2/3 scoreless frames with just one hit and no walks.

"Ricky hell of a job tonight," Slater said. "He kept us right there, kept us in the game, gave us chance to battle back a couple different times. And what a performance by him. He did a hell of a job."

The Florida bats, meanwhile, were inconsistent, as well. A two-hit first inning led to two runs to tie the game, while a sacrifice fly-out in the fourth cut into UAB's lead. However, the Gators had zero baserunners across the fourth, fifth and sixth innings as the Blazers held onto firm control of the momentum.

A four-run seventh inning, with RBIs coming from Stripling, Brendan Lawson and Kyle Jones, gave Florida its only lead of the game, but UAB immediately answered in the eighth with a two-run single from Kevin Hall Jr. The Gators had a chance aft the win after Lawson recorded a two-out double in the ninth, but Cade Kurland struck out.

Lawson (3-for-4) and Jones (2-for-5) were Florida's only multi-hit batters in Friday's loss.

"They're both really gifted players, and they're going to play long after they're Gators, both of them," Slater said. "And I'm really pleased being around those guys every day and watching the way they work at their craft, and it showed up tonight. It's a nice start to the season for both of them."

UAB took the lead in the 10th with Hall Jr. reaching on a fielder's choice as Andrew Hunt beat the tag at home. A groundout an at-bat later plated one more courtesy run, and Florida failed to answer despite a two-out walk to Ethan Surowiec.

Relievers Russell Sandefer and Jackson Barberi combined for two hits, three earned runs, three walks and four strikeouts in three innings.

Florida will look to bounce back with a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 2 p.m.

More From Florida Gators on SI