Florida Gators Dominate Florida A&M 14-4 in Second Straight Run-Rule Victory

The No. 13 Florida Gators secured their second consecutive run-rule victory on Wednesday night with a dominant 14-4 win over Florida A&M at Condron Family Ballpark.

The win pushed the Gators' record to 18-5 on the season and showcased some powerful offensive performances alongside stellar pitching.

Blake Cyr, who made his return to the lineup after missing two games, delivered a standout performance.

Going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, Cyr crushed a home run and drove in a season-high six RBIs, while also scoring two runs.

His explosive performance helped to lead Florida's offensive charge.

Colby Shelton continued his impressive season, notching his second consecutive three-hit game, going 3-for-4 with three doubles, four runs, and two RBIs.

Shelton, who leads the SEC with 13 doubles this season, has been a consistent force for the Gators' offense.

On the mound, Florida’s bullpen was exceptional.

Right-hander Caden McDonald, who earned the win, was particularly dominant.

McDonald pitched a career-high 4 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, striking out seven batters and allowing only two hits and one walk.

Left-hander McCall Biemiller also impressed, striking out the side in the seventh inning to finish off a shutout performance from the bullpen.

The game started with a solid performance from Florida’s starter, Matthew Jenkins, who struck out two in a clean first inning.

The Gators wasted no time getting on the board in the bottom of the first, taking a 3-0 lead.

Shelton’s RBI double was the key blow in the inning, followed by a sacrifice fly from Cyr and a groundout from Brendan Lawson to score the third run.

Florida A&M responded in the second inning, taking a 4-3 lead after a two-run home run from Caden Slappey and a pair of bases-loaded walks.

However, the Gators answered quickly, scoring five runs in the third inning to take an 8-4 lead.

Lawson’s sacrifice fly and Brody Donay’s two-run double highlighted the rally, while a wild pitch added another run.

McDonald took control on the mound, pitching three consecutive scoreless innings and helping keep the Rattlers at bay.

Florida added to their lead in the fourth with a run-scoring single from Cyr, making it 9-4.

The Gators continued to pour it on in the sixth, with back-to-back doubles from Bobby Boser and Shelton, followed by a two-run homer from Cyr that pushed the lead to 12-4.

Biemiller came on in the seventh and sealed the game with a perfect inning, striking out all three batters he faced.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Gators loaded the bases, and Cyr’s two-run single ended the game via the run rule, with Florida winning 14-4.

The victory was a team effort, with nine Gators either scoring or driving in a run.

McDonald’s stellar relief performance earned him his second win of the season, while Rattlers reliever Ryan Young took the loss after allowing five earned runs over 1 2/3 innings.

Florida's offensive explosion marked their second straight game scoring in double digits, having scored 30 runs combined in their two-game midweek slate.

The Gators are now an impressive 15-1 at home this season and have extended their all-time series lead over Florida A&M to 32-1.

Next up for the Gators is a highly anticipated SEC showdown with No. 4 Georgia.

The series begins on Friday, March 21, at 6:30 p.m. at Condron Family Ballpark.