Florida handles No. 4 Arkansas in SEC baseball series opener
By David Wasson
Published:
The Florida baseball team earned a critical series-opening victory Friday night against fourth-ranked Arkansas, taking an early three-run lead and never looking back en route to a 9-4 win in front of 9,837 fans in Fayetteville.
The win improved the Gators to 21-6 overall and 4-3 in SEC play heading into Saturday’s Game 2 (2 pm ET, SEC Network+), while the Razorbacks fell to 19-8 overall and 4-3 in SEC play.
Florida, which is 5-0 against ranked teams and 2-0 against Top 10 programs this season, is in position to claim its first series victory at Baum-Walker Stadium since sweeping Arkansas during the 2016 season.
Florida catcher Karson Bowen went 3-for-5, including a two-run homer in the seventh inning. Left fielder Blake Cyr matched him with three hits, including a double a run scored. Arkansas managed only five hits, with center fielder Maika Niu going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Florida reliever Ernesto Lugo-Canchola (1-0) earned his first victory as a Gator, allowing two earned runs allowed on one hit and one walk in two innings. Arkansas starter Gabe Gaeckle (3-2) absorbed the loss, lasting just 1 1/3 innings while being charged with three earned runs on one hit and four walks.
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An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
