Florida Gators drop another midweek game to Jacksonville Dolphins

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The No. 6 Florida Gators continue to struggle in midweek games. A 7-6 loss to the Jacksonville Dolphins dropped the Gators to 2-5 in midweek affairs during the early part of the 2024 season. The Gators only led for a half-inning on Tuesday night.

Tuesday’s game, like so many this season, saw the Gators’ pitching staff give up runs early. Jacksonville posted two runs in the top of the first. The Dolphins added a run in the third inning to stretch the lead to 3-0 but the Gators posted a four-spot in the bottom of the frame, headlined by Jac Caglianone’s first of two home runs on the night and a RBI double from Tyler Shelnut.

The lead would be shortlived as freshman Grayson Smith allowed two earned runs, relinquishing the lead and momentum Florida’s offense had created.

Jacksonville added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth, which proved to be the difference in the 7-6 win.

Players of the Game

Jac Caglianone: The Golden Spikes Award watchlist slugger hit two home runs in the loss to JU. He was 2-5 on the night with three RBI and is hitting a cool .414 on the season.

Tyler Shelnut: The third baseman was 2-5 with a double and 2 RBI in the losing effort.

Luke McNeillie: After a tough start to the season, McNeillie has turned in two consecutive strong outings. McNeillie earned the save against Texas A&M on Sunday and was back on the mound Tuesday night. He threw 2.1 innings and struck out six without allowing a run.

Notes

• Tuesday night’s official attendance was 5,165.
• Caglianone mashed his eighth and ninth home runs of the season.
  • It marked his second multi-homer game of the campaign.
• Florida struck out a season-high 18 batters.
• Heyman and Shelton moved their on-base streaks to 20-straight contests.
• Kurland extended his hitting streak to nine games.
• Florida fell to 45-13 at home since the start of the 2023 season.
• The Gators have won 23 of their last 30 regular-season, non-conference games.
  • Since last season, Florida is 32-10 in non-con action.
• Florida is now 66-36 all-time vs. Jacksonville including 43-17 in Gainesville.
  • The Gators are 20-8 against the Dolphins under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan (15-6 at home), having won 11 of the last 14 meetings.

Quotes

From Kevin O’Sullivan

On Slater going one inning…
“He was going to go 30 pitches and we were going to get two innings out of him and get him to the weekend because he only threw two-thirds of an inning. That was the thought process there and then he threw 27 in the first and that was it. He was going to get to 30 and that was going to be about it.”

On McNeillie’s strong outing…
“I mean there were certainly some bright moments in the game and that’s certainly probably the highlight honestly, that he came back. And what you try to do is keep everyone’s pitch count down to keep them fresh for the weekend. We just, when you have games like this everybody just has got to do their part. Certainly, Luke obviously did that tonight.”

On Caglianone’s improvements on the hill…
“Yeah, he had a really good weekend and obviously he had a really good game today as well. He’s older, and experienced and we’re moving him around and he’s still swinging the bat. Sometimes, you move guys around defensively, it affects them offensively, but it certainly hasn’t changed anything. We’ve played him at third the last two games.”

What’s next for the Florida Gators

The No. 6 Florida Gators will travel to Baton Rouge for a three-game series against No. 5 LSU this weekend. Friday’s series premiere airs on SEC Network at 8 p.m. ET and Sunday’s finale can also be watched on SEC Network at 3 p.m. ET. Game two streams on SEC Network+ on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.