No. 7/20 Gators Outlasted by 6/13 Auburn in Rubber Game

Saturday, April 18

Gainesville, Fla.

12 PM

Florida Gators

28-13, 10-8

Auburn

27-12, 10-8

Auburn

Florida

No. 7/20 Gators Outlasted by 6/13 Auburn in Rubber Game

Saturday, April 18, 2026 | Baseball

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Blake Cyr left the yard twice and drove in all five of Florida’s runs to finish with four homers in the series.

By: Sullivan Bortner

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 7/20 Florida scored three runs in the first but No. 6/13 Auburn stormed back in the final two frames to steal the series finale, 8-5, at Condron Family Ballpark on Saturday afternoon.

The Gators (28-13, 10-8 SEC) led from the bottom of the third until the top of the eighth, when the Tigers (27-12, 10-8 SEC) knotted the score at three runs apiece before putting the game away with a five-run ninth. Remaining red hot at the dish, Blake Cyr (2-for-5) homered twice for his third and fourth long balls of the series to account for all five of Florida's runs.

UF starting pitcher Russell Sandefer kicked off the finale by fanning leadoff man Mason McCraine en route to a one-two-three top of the first inning. That allowed the Orange & Blue to roar out to a 3-0 lead in the home half, as Cyr uncorked a two-out, three-run moonshot onto the left-field berm to plate both Brendan Lawson (walk) and Ethan Surowiec (single).

Sandefer held the momentum in the top of the second, navigating around a two-out walk for a scoreless frame. He then retired the side in order on seven pitches to complete three shutout innings. Sandefer worked around a two-out fielding error at third base for another zero in the fourth, striking out his second batter in the process.

Auburn found the scoring column in the fifth, plating a pair of unearned runs as leadoff man Ethin Bingaman reached on a second fielding error at third base. Bub Terrell produced the first run with a sacrifice fly down the right-field line, as Hayden Yost made a tremendous diving catch to scoop a sinking flare for the second out. The Tigers made it 3-2 on a two-out, RBI single to right from M. McCraine to break up the no-hit bid, prompting Sandefer's removal in favor of southpaw Ernesto Lugo Canchola. The left-hander needed two pitches to get out of the jam by inducing a flyout to left field.

Lugo-Canchola remained on the hill for the sixth, stranding a one-out single to maintain Florida's one-run edge. He was lifted with one out and one on in the seventh for closer Joshua Whritenour, who got out of the frame via a caught stealing from catcher Karson Bowen and a strikeout of Brandon McCraine.

The Tigers drew even in the top of the eighth, as Terrell tied the contest at 3-3 with a leadoff home run to right field. Whritenour retired three of the next four batters to send a brand-new ballgame into the home half of the eighth.

Searching for their first hit since Jones' leadoff single in the third, the Gators went down in order in the bottom of the eighth inning. Auburn took advantage, striking for five runs (one earned) in the top of the ninth to regain the lead at 8-3. Pinch-runner Cade Belyeu scored on a throwing error at pitcher on a bunt and B. McCraine hit a two-run double down the right-field line. M. McCraine capped off the outburst with a two-run shot to right-center.

Florida did not go quietly, as Bowen kept the Gators alive with a two-out single and Cyr mashed his second homer of the game and fourth of the series to make it a three-run game. Auburn reliever Ryan Hetzler (4-1) got the final out on a lineout to second by Stripling, earning the win behind two innings of two-run ball.

Whritenour (2-2) received the loss, giving up five runs (two earned) across 1 2/3 innings. He finished with four hits allowed and one strikeout.

Sandefer did not qualify for the decision. The junior righty was pulled after 4 2/3 frames, giving up just one hit and two walks while striking out a pair of Tigers.

Auburn starter Alex Petrovic also received a no-decision after throwing seven innings of three-run ball. The sophomore right-hander was charged with three hits allowed, two walks and five strikeouts.

NOTABLES

Florida dropped its first series to Auburn since 2017 including its first home series loss to the Tigers since 2013.
Florida dropped to 11-3 on the season against ranked opponents.
The Gators have won nine of their last 12 SEC series, going 24-12 across their last 36 SEC games dating back to last season.
Cyr homered for the third-straight game in the series to open a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Cyr left the yard again in the ninth for his fourth-career multi-homer game and second of the season (Feb. 14 vs. UAB – Game 1), finishing with all five of Florida's RBI.
Cyr finished with four home runs and nine RBI in the three-game series.
Cyr passed Surowiec (seven) for second on the team in home runs (eight).
Whritenour blew his second save of the season across nine opportunities.
Florida starting pitchers have allowed four home runs in 169 2/3 innings pitched, featuring just two homers surrendered in 93 2/3 SEC frames.
Florida has won 45 of its last 63 regular-season games dating back to 2025.
The Gators are now 122-137-2 all-time and 69-53 at home against Auburn.
Florida is 22-14 overall and 13-8 in Gainesville against the Tigers under Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan (all at home).
The Gators have won 32 of the last 48 meetings in the head-to-head series.
Saturday's official attendance was 5,735.

FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O'SULLIVAN
On the pitching and defense…
"Yeah, it started with Russ. We didn't get much length out of him again. He went four and two-thirds. Which then makes you have to go to Josh going into the seventh. We wanted to get through the seventh and then use him in the eighth and ninth, but we just weren't able to get through that fifth inning. It was disappointing, you know, we won game one and we scored three in the first. Their starting pitcher did a really nice job. He kept us off balance, and I kept telling our hitters we have to pick one or the other. We either had to pick up the fastball or the changeup, and he caught us in between and did a nice job there. Then obviously the four errors. We had more errors than hits going into the ninth, and that's not going to help you win many games. We gave up seven earned runs throughout the entire series, and we lost the series. Quite honestly, I think they outcompeted us, so credit Auburn."

On the defense at third base in back-to-back games…
"Yeah, I think obviously we gave up two earned runs yesterday and two earned runs today. So, if you have a crooked number in the errors column, you're not going to win many games. It's unfortunate."

On the frustration knowing the defense can play better…
"Extremely, extremely frustrating. We take ground balls every day and stress the fundamentals. We stress throwing chest-high throws. On Wednesday alone, we probably worked on bunt defense for a good 20-30 minutes, and in a bunt situation, we threw the ball down the right-field line. All you can do is just practice it until you get it right. We knew that these were going to be low-scoring games and today turned out not to be that, because a lot of the things that happened were self-inflicted. It's not like they were unprepared, but with our pitching it should be low-scoring games at home. Two of the eight runs were earned, so to answer your question, it is extremely disappointing, but we're going to have to move on and we are going to have to try to get better. I think it is really that simple."

ON DECK
The Gators remain home to host Jacksonville University on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+.