Bucs Again Score First but Fall to No. 7 Florida on the Road

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – For the second time in as many days, Charleston Southern was the first to score in a clash with No. 7 Florida, but the Gators were again able to answer the call en route to a 16-2 win over the Bucs.

Charleston Southern (0-2) will look to find the win column in the series finale tomorrow afternoon back at Condron Ballpark as first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.

The Bucs were the first to get on the board once again, as a second inning single to right from the bat of Bryce Brock was enough to bring Casey Asman around to score and give the Bucs the early 1-0 advantage. Asman started the inning off with a single up the middle.

Florida (2-0) answered the call in the home-half of the frame, as BT Riopelle came up big again with an RBI-single to right to score Josh Rivera and knot things up at one, apiece.

The Gators would then strike for three more in the third stanza as Wyatt Langford brought Cade Kurland around to score on a ground ball to third before a wild pitch plated Michael Robertson and Langford scored on a single from Jac Caglianone.

The fourth frame was the biggest of the contest for the Gators, as they found seven runs in the inning. Shelnut was the highlight of the frame, as his two-run bomb stood as the only one in the contest hit by either team and was enough to put Florida up 11-1.

Charleston Southern found its second run of the affair in the next frame as Brock came around to score on a ball in the infield from the bat of Ashton Wilson. Brock’s six-pitch walk sparked the frame for CSU while Connor Aldrich’s two-strike single to right put Brock just 90 feet away at third.

The Gators would answer back with four more in the fifth and a single run in the sixth to again end things a few innings early.

Florida starter Hurston Waldrep (W, 1-0) gets the win after going the minimum five innings and being charged with two earned on four hits and six punchies. Cade Fisher and Yoel Tejeda Jr. each recorded clean innings for the Gators out of the bullpen in relief.

Ryan Gleason (L, 0-1) takes the loss for Charleston Southern, as the southpaw was charged with five earned on five hits and four walks across 3.1 innings. Eddie Olsen stood as the only other CSU pitcher, as he was called on to get the final eight outs of the contest. Olsen was charged with eight runs on the night, but all eight ended up unearned.