Gators Cruise to 14-4 Win Over Stetson Behind Boser’s Power Surge

Florida’s offense erupted Tuesday night at Condron Family Ballpark, steamrolling Stetson in a 14-4 run-rule victory that ended after just seven innings.

The Gators pounded out 13 hits, tied their season high with five home runs, and continued their midweek dominance with yet another convincing win.

Clutch hitting was the theme of the night, with 11 of Florida's 14 runs coming with two outs and multiple runs scored in four different innings.

The game was tight early, with Stetson jumping ahead 2-1 after the first inning and briefly holding a 4-1 lead following a two-run homer by Nelphie Lopez in the top of the third.

Florida responded quickly in the bottom half, tying the game at four thanks to a mix of defensive miscues and timely hits, including an RBI double from Brody Donay and an error-aided score off the bat of Luke Heyman.

From that point on, the Gators never looked back.

They took control in the fourth and blew the game open in the fifth, plating three runs with two outs when Ashton Wilson crushed a three-run homer to the left-field bullpen.

Wilson, who finished 3-for-4, was a triple shy of the cycle and drove in a team-high four runs, continuing to make a strong impact from the heart of the order.

Right-hander Alex Philpott came on in relief to stabilize things after a shaky start, retiring the side in order in the fourth and holding the Hatters to just one hit across 3 1/3 innings.

Philpott struck out four, walked one, and picked up his second straight win out of the bullpen, improving to 2-3 on the season.

It wasn’t until the fourth inning that the real story of the night began to unfold, the power surge of third baseman Bobby Boser.

After leading off the first inning with a towering solo shot to center, Boser returned in the fourth and launched his second homer of the night, giving Florida a 5-4 lead.

In the sixth, he crushed a third, no-doubt solo blast to left-center, becoming the first Gator to hit three home runs in a game since Jac Caglianone did it in February 2023.

Boser finished 3-for-5 and took over the team lead with 14 home runs and 42 RBI, setting a new single-season career high.

His performance extended his on-base streak to 19 straight games and marked his third multi-homer game of the season.

The Gators tacked on two more in the sixth when Dale Thomas Cyr smacked a two-run home run, his seventh of the year, stretching the lead to 11-4.

Christian Rodriguez closed out the top of the seventh with a clean inning, setting up Florida for a potential walk-off frame via the run rule.

And the bats delivered once more.

Hayden Yost and Wilson opened the bottom half with back-to-back doubles to bring home the 12th run.

With two outs, Brendan Lawson laced a ground-rule double down the right-field line, scoring Stripling and Wilson to end the game early.

Florida has now won five straight and improved to 25-14 overall, remaining a perfect 7-0 in home midweek games.

The Gators are also 21-3 in non-conference play and 12-3 against in-state opponents.

Starter Jackson Barberi worked 2 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) and striking out four in a no-decision.

Barberi has now started five games this season, all resulting in Florida victories.

Colby Shelton added another strong outing, reaching base for the 38th time in 39 games and collecting his SEC-best 18th double along the way.

Shelton recorded his 21st multi-hit game of the year, continuing to be one of the most consistent bats in the lineup.

Florida swept the season series against Stetson and improved to 13-2 against the Hatters during head coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s tenure, including 8-0 in Gainesville.

With the nine-game homestand now behind them, the Gators head to Starkville for a weekend SEC series at Mississippi State from April 18 to 20.

Game one will air Friday at 8 p.m. ET on SEC Network, followed by ESPN2 broadcasts on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET) and Sunday (3 p.m. ET).