Florida pulls off epic rally, walks off Kentucky to secure big win
By David Wasson
Published:
The 13th-ranked Florida Gators delivered a stunning late rally Friday against Kentucky, scoring six unanswered runs in the final two innings to upend the visiting Wildcats 7-6 in front of 5,937 at Condron Ballpark in Gainesville.
The win improved Florida to 33-17 overall and 14-11 in SEC play. Kentucky fell to 29-17 overall and 11-14 in league play. The Gators and Wildcats continue the pivotal SEC series Saturday (4 pm ET, SEC Network+).
Kentucky leapt out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning via an RBI double from Scott Campbell Jr. and a two-run double from Luke Lawrence. The Wildcats extended their lead to 6-1 in the seventh by way of RBI singles from Lawrence and Jayce Tharnish.
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Florida erased the deficit in the eighth, however, scoring runs on an RBI groundout, a Kentucky wild pitch, a Wildcats throwing error and a two-run Brendan Lawson double. The Gators would then walk off Kentucky in the ninth when Kyle Jones slapped a single to left field that scored Karson Bowen from second base.
Bowen, Blake Cyr, Caden McDonald and Cade Curland each had two hits as part of a 12-hit night for Florida. Owen Jenkins went 3-for-4 for Kentucky. Florida reliever Joshua Whritenour (3-3) earned the victory by way of a flawless ninth, while Ira Austin IV (0-1) took the loss for Kentucky.
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.
