Florida Falls to Tennessee 10-0 Despite Strong Start from Freshman Aidan King

No. 7 Florida fell to No. 2 Tennessee 10-0 in seven innings on Saturday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Despite the lopsided final score, freshman pitcher Aidan King delivered an impressive performance in his SEC debut.

Making just his second career start, King threw six innings of one-run ball, striking out six and allowing only four hits.

He had a strong command of his pitches, continuing a stretch of solid performances after his first career start.

Tennessee got on the board in the second inning after a leadoff double by Levi Clark, followed by an RBI single from Manny Marin to center.

King settled in and kept the Gators in the game, throwing scoreless innings in the third, fifth, and sixth while striking out two in the fourth and picking off Marin at first to end the inning.

Although the Florida offense struggled, King kept the game within reach, with his pitch count reaching 93 after six innings.

However, Tennessee broke the game open in the seventh after King was pulled.

The Volunteers scored nine runs in the inning, starting with a bases-clearing double from Dean Curley down the left-field line.

Hunter Ensley added an RBI single, and Andrew Fischer followed with a two-run single.

Reese Chapman then capped the big inning with a three-run home run to right field, ending the game at 10-0.

King was charged with the loss, dropping to 3-1 on the season, but his performance remained impressive, with a 0.95 ERA after the game.

Tennessee’s Marcus Phillips earned the win, tossing seven shutout innings, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out seven.

Florida was shut out for the first time this season, and no Gator batter recorded multiple hits, with Colby Shelton going 2-for-3 with two singles as the only player to collect more than one hit.

Justin Nadeau also reached base twice, finishing 1-for-2 with a single and a walk.

Blake Cyr and Shelton have now reached base safely in all 20 games this season, as the Gators continue to showcase solid offensive consistency despite the setback.

Florida’s pitching staff has been dominant early on, with the team’s rotation boasting an 8-2 record, a 2.30 ERA, and a 104-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 66 2/3 innings.

The loss brings Florida’s all-time record against Tennessee to 157-99, including 69-51 in Knoxville.

The Gators have a 27-25 overall record and a 14-12 mark on the road against the Volunteers under Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan.

Florida will look to bounce back in the series finale on Sunday, scheduled for 1 p.m. on SEC Network+.