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Florida snaps Georgia’s 9-game winning streak with extra-innings blast from Luke Heyman
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Florida has snapped Georgia’s winning streak in Athens, delivering a big-time win in extra innings to tie a weekend series at a game apiece.
The Bulldogs took Game 1 by a score of 9-4 Thursday night, and it looked like Georgia may roll again Friday afternoon. Leighton Finley was phenomenal on the mound for Georgia and made it through 6 innings with just 1 earned run while striking out 8.
Unfortunately, things unraveled with Brian Zeldin coming on in relief. Florida would score 1 run in the top of the 7th and would eventually tie things up on a 2-run blast from Cade Kurland to make it 4-all.
Game-tying Cader tater! ??#GoGators // ? SECN+ pic.twitter.com/86roofoH1n
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 17, 2024
Once in extra innings, Florida put immediate pressure on the Bulldogs with a pair of baserunners. It would lead to a red-hot Luke Heyman stepping into the box, and he delivered in a big way.
Heyman drilled a 2-0 pitch out of left field with a 3-run home run tracked at 383 feet and 100 MPH off the bat. The Gators would not relinquish the 7-4 lead, finishing off the win to even the series and snap Georgia’s winning streak.
✅ Third homer of the series
✅ Fifth homer in the last week
✅ Gators lead in extras#GoGators // ? SECN+ pic.twitter.com/h23djNMvTX— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 17, 2024
Now, the two teams will square off in a decisive Game 3 Saturday afternoon. Saturday’s game also marks the end of the regular season for both teams with the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama slated to begin on Tuesday.
Impact on the postseason
In the latest NCAA Tournament projections, Florida was omitted entirely from projections produced by D1 Baseball and Baseball America. The Gators were 30th in RPI entering the weekend series, but a disastrous performance in SEC play has Florida likely out of the field barring a major showing in Hoover. That would be a first occurrence for the program under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan.
Meanwhile, Georgia entered the season’s final series as a lock for the final field and widely expected to host a regional in the NCAA Tournament. A Saturday win over Florida or solid showing in the SEC Tournament should solidify that projection.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
