The Florida Gators will play two games on Wednesday after eliminating the Kentucky Wildcats in the first game of the day in Omaha. After a seven-run first inning, Florida followed with eight more, powered by Pierce Coppola on the mound and Brody Donay at the plate, to advance to the College World Series semifinals against Texas A&M.
Florida 15, Kentucky 4
Florida used a big first inning to advance to the evening semifinal against the Aggies. The Gators scored seven runs in the first inning, chasing Kentucky starter Dominic Niman after he recorded just one out while allowing five runs on three hits. One of those hits was a grand slam by Donay that gave Florida a 7-1 lead.
The Gators scored two more in the bottom of the third, five more in the fifth and one more in the sixth.
Kentucky found it difficult to break through against Florida lefty Pierce Coppola, who pitched five innings and struck out nine.
Émilien Pitre’s two-run home run off Coppola in the top of the fifth inning was the last time the Wildcats would score in the game.
Key statistics
Donay is the fifth Gator with a multi-home run game in this College World Series. His second blast of the match traveled 130 meters and delivered an exit velocity of 187.6 km per hour, the hardest-hit ball in the tournament. He finished the game 3-for-5 with five RBI.
Highlights
The Gators jumped the Wildcats early, punctuated by Donay’s opposite-field grand slam.
Donay wasn’t done hitting bombs yet. He led off the bottom of the fifth with his 14th home run of the season to make it 10-5 Gators.
Jac Caglianone hit his 35th home run of the season and 75th of his Gators career, passing Matt LaPorta for the most in program history.
Tennessee 7, Florida State 2
In the second game of the day, Tennessee made it easy on Florida State to extend the Volunteers’ postseason and advance to the finals.
Tennessee got things going early by scoring three runs in the first inning and adding a fourth in the second. Although Florida State put up some strong efforts, the Volunteers held the Seminoles scoreless for six innings while adding two more runs: one in the fourth and one in the seventh.
Back-to-back solo home runs from Daniel Cantu and Alex Lodise in the seventh inning put Florida State on the board, but the Seminoles couldn’t close the gap. A home run by Tennessee first baseman Blake Burke to lead off the ninth sealed the deal for the Volunteers, ending Florida State’s season.
Key statistics
Tennessee pitcher Zander Sechrist had a great game for the Volunteers over six innings, striking out three and allowing only five hits.
On the Florida State side, starting pitcher John Abraham was pulled from the field shortly after Tennessee’s hot bats got going in the first inning. He was replaced by Brenner Oxford, who struckout four batters in three innings. Joe Charles then finished the game, striking out five while holding the Volunteers to just three hits.
Highlights
Although Tennessee’s bats gave the team the early lead, it was the Vols’ fielding that held the lead. Tennessee midfielder Kaveres Tears helped keep Florida State scoreless with a monstrous catch against the wall — losing his hat and goggles but somehow holding on to the ball — to end the first inning.
Volunteers second baseman Christian Moore had another good night, hitting an RBI triple in the fourth to extend Tennessee’s lead.
The back-to-back dingers in the seventh highlighted Florida State’s main offensive threat of the night, with both sailing to right field with ease.
But Burke’s homer sealed the deal for Tennessee, adding to the Volunteers’ insurmountable lead and helping to clinch the team’s win.
What’s next
The win advances Tennessee to the College World Series championship, which begins Saturday. Florida State and Kentucky have been eliminated.
After playing earlier on Wednesday, Florida will play Texas A&M again on Wednesday night as part of the Bracket 2 semifinals. An Aggies win would eliminate the Gators.
