No. 4 Florida completes sweep of Columbia

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 4 Florida plated five runs in the first and never relinquished the lead en route to topping Columbia, 12-5, for a series sweep at Condron Family Ballpark on Sunday.

Tyler Shelnut (1-for-2) and Colby Shelton (1-for-3) both went yard in the victory. Shelnut tied his career best with a team-high four RBI while Shelton led with three runs scored. Luke Heyman (2-for-4) contributed two doubles, three RBI and two runs.

Starting pitcher Jac Caglianone produced a scoreless first for the Gators (5-1), working around a one-out walk and striking out a pair. Florida then hung five runs on the Lions (0-3) in the bottom half, beginning with doubles down the left-field line from Michael Robertson and Heyman to plate the first. Ty Evans cranked a third double to left-center to score Heyman, followed by a 462-foot, three-run homer by Shelnut to break the game open at 5-0.

The Gator bats stayed hot into the second, adding three more runs to extend the lead to 8-0. With two men on, Caglianone singled to right to bring in Jaylen Guy while Heyman swatted his second double in as many innings – a two-run knock to right-center field.

Columbia answered with three runs of its own in the top of the third to make it 8-3. After a leadoff walk to Hunter Snyder and subsequent single by Miles Blackwell, Cole Hage connected on a three-run home run to left field.

Philpott relieved Caglianone in the fourth and promptly struck out the side in order on just 10 pitches. The right-hander struck out two more in the fifth while stranding a pair of baserunners to increase his strikeout total to five.

Florida added to its lead in the bottom of the fifth, as Shelton uncorked a solo blast over the right-field berm to push the score to 9-3.

Philpott took the Gators through the sixth, allowing zero runs and picking up six strikeouts. Fellow freshman hurler Grayson Smith assumed duties in the seventh for his collegiate debut and navigated around a one-out hit-by-pitch to churn out a zero for the Orange & Blue.

The Gators were gifted a trio of runs in the seventh, with the first two coming across on a pair of bases-loaded walks to Shelnut and Dale Thomas. With the bags still juiced, Garrison drove in Shelton with a sacrifice fly to left, making it 12-3 in favor of Florida.

Jacob Gomberg made his collegiate debut with two outs in the eighth and struck out Kyle Corso to hold the lead. The Lions responded for two late runs in the ninth on a two-run double from Griffin Palfrey, bringing the score to its final tally of 12-5.

Philpott (2-0) earned his second win of the week, firing three shutout innings on two hits and one walk. He struck out six batters.

Caglianone received a no-decision after allowing three earned runs in three innings. He gave up two hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Columbia starter JD Ogden (0-1) was saddled with the loss, surrendering eight runs (six earned) on six hits and two walks in two frames. He fanned one.

Caglianone (2-for-4) and Heyman were the lone Gators to collect multiple hits in the finale.