Josh Rivera's historic night leads Gators past FAU Owls

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It was a night unlike any other Josh Rivera has experienced on a baseball diamond. A single in the top of the eighth drove home Cade Kurland and Wyatt Langford and Rivera pumped his fist as he rounded and retreated back to first base. His eighth and ninth RBI were not only career highs but the most a Florida Gators player had managed since JJ Schwarz’s four-home run game in 2015.

The Owls (7-5) went ahead 1-0 in the top of the first thanks to a two-out, solo home run by Nolan Schanuel to right field. It would be the first of three longballs for the player MLB.com ranks as the No. 60 player in the 2023 MLB Draft. It didn’t take the Gators (11-3) long to get the run back and then some, responding with a season-high six-run first inning. Rivera blasted a three-run homer off the batter’s eye in center field. Tyler Shelnut followed with a three-run bomb of his own to make the score 6-1.

After a 41-minute rain delay, Schanuel launched a three-run homer of his own to make the score 6-4. The game would continue to go back and forth with home runs becoming a theme.

In total, the teams combined for eight home runs, five off of the bats of Rivera and Schanuel.

Gators Bullpen with a better night

The Gators’ bullpen, which has struggled through the first 13 games, threw much better in the 14th. Despite a line that looks like a disaster, Ryan Slater threw the ball better than he had in previous outings. Philip Abner sat Schanuel down on three-straight pitches in the eighth inning and Brandon Neely — who has been dealing with the flu — finished the game in the ninth.

“Ryan’s line does not really indicate how he threw,” Kevin O’Sullivan said after the game. “The ball was coming out way different than it did this weekend. His fastball had a little bit of hop. His slider was short and had a quick break at the end. He had a little bit of misfortune with the pop-up over the third baseman’s head and then the swinging bunt down the third-base line.

“I thought he threw the ball good, so we got him to a point where he felt good about his outing and got him out. We brought (Nick Ficcarrota) in, he did his job, we got him out. Phillip [Abner] went in, did his job, and we got him out. They swing on a first-pitch fastball, it wasn’t located against Neely. His last three or four fastballs, they had real intent, so we just need to keep getting him out there.”

It wasn’t a lights-out night from the bullpen, but the Gators will take it as each reliever left the game on a high note to build on.

Florida and FAU will complete a two-game season series on Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. at Condron Ballpark.

Notes

• A 41-minute weather delay paused the game in the bottom of the second inning.
• Florida tied its season high with 18 runs scored.
  • The 29 combined runs on Tuesday are the most in a Florida baseball game since the Gators defeated Winthrop, 28-5, on March 3, 2019 (33 combined runs).
• Rivera set a new career high with nine RBI while tying his personal best with two home runs.
  • Rivera’s nine RBI represent a new season high for the Gators and marks the most by a UF player since JJ Schwarz drove in 10 vs. Stetson on April 7, 2015.
• Evans homered for the second-consecutive game, hitting a solo shot in the third inning.
• Kurland saw his team-leading 11-game hitting streak end, although he did reach base four times and score four runs.
• Florida has struck out 163 batters in 120 innings – translating to 12.2 per nine innings.
• Florida’s run differential of plus-82 is the team’s best through 14 games since the 2003 season.
  • The Gators have scored in 68 of 114 batted innings this season (59.6%).
• For the 12th time in 14 games this year, the Gators recorded double-digit hits.
• The Gators have a nation-leading 175 hits through 14 games (12.5 hits/game).
• The Gators improve to 25-10 all-time against the Owls including 19-8 at home.
  • Florida rises to 12-5 vs. FAU under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan featuring a 9-5 record in home matchups.