Earning the win for the Gators (24-8, 7-4 SEC) over the Rebels (21-11, 4-7 SEC), King was masterful throughout seven scoreless innings to assist produce Florida’s nation-leading seventh shutout of the season. Lowering his ERA to 1.62 on the yr, King scattered 4 hits whereas hanging out eight batters in opposition to zero walks. He tossed 70 of his 93 pitches for strikes.
Although King required little run assist, Kyle Jones (2-for-3) collected a pair of inning-opening hits and scored one run whereas Cade Kurland (1-for-4) delivered UF’s lone, run-scoring knock with a go-ahead single within the second inning. For the second-straight sport within the sequence, the Gators matched the Rebels in hits (six).
Following a climate delay that pushed the beginning time again two hours and two minutes to 8:32 p.m., King labored round a leadoff single by fanning the following three Rebels so as. The Gators loaded the bases with two outs within the house half, however stranded them juiced in a scoreless first inning.
Navigating round a leadoff stroll within the second, King blanked the Rebels earlier than chucking one other zero alongside together with his fourth strikeout within the third. Passing the baton to the UF offense, Florida broke by means of to take a 2-0 lead within the backside of the third. Jones led off with a single to left and superior to third on a one-out single to proper by Ethan Surowiec. With two males down, Kurland singled by means of the best aspect to open the scoring whereas back-to-back walks to Cole Stanford and Jacob Kendall compelled house the second run.
Pitching with a two-run edge, King fanned the leadoff man within the fourth en route to a seven-pitch body. The sophomore right-hander fired one other clear inning within the fifth whereas logging his sixth strikeout. King surrendered a leadoff single to Judd Utermark within the high of the sixth, however fanned his seventh Rebels and induced a pair of flyouts to left discipline to full six shutout innings.
Still main 2-0 within the high of the seventh, King churned out a seventh zero thanks to a sensational catch by Blake Cyr whereas working into the best discipline wall. King struck out Austin Fawley to finish the body for his eighth strikeout.
At the onset of the eighth, King was relieved by right-hander Jackson Barberi. The sophomore righty ran right into a two-out, one-on jam, however induced a six-three double play off the bat of Will Furniss to remove the risk.
Staying in for the ninth, Barberi struck out Collin Reuter for the primary out earlier than giving up a single to left to Dom Decker. Florida known as on nearer Joshua Whritenour for the ultimate two outs, who induced a fielder’s alternative to shortstop prior to fanning Fawley to cement his fifth save.
King (4-2) was awarded the series-evening victory. He tossed a season-high seven shutout innings, permitting 4 hits and fanning eight Rebels with out issuing a free cross.
Rebel beginning pitcher Hunter Elliott (3-1) was saddled with the loss. The junior southpaw gave up two earned runs on 4 hits and 4 walks over 4 innings whereas hanging out 9.
NOTABLES
- Florida pitched its nation-leading seventh shutout of the season to even the sequence.
- The Gators have gained eight of their final 9 SEC sequence, going 21-8 throughout their final 29 SEC video games relationship again to final season.
- King pitched a season-high 7.0 shutout innings, permitting simply 4 hits whereas hanging out eight in opposition to zero walks to decrease his ERA to 1.62 on the season.
- Across his final 13 begins relationship again to 2025, King is 8-3 with a 1.16 ERA and 70-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 77 2/3 innings pitched (10 earned runs allowed).
- In the primary two video games in opposition to Ole Miss, Surowiec has reached safely in six of his 9 plate appearances whereas going a mixed 4-for-7 with one homer, three RBI and two walks in opposition to his former membership.
- Jones led off with an infield single to enhance to 2-for-2 main off video games within the sequence and now has 13 game-opening knocks on the season.
- Jones later led off the third inning with successful and has now reached 28 occasions in 64 leadoff plate appearances this season (.438).
- Jones stole his team-high sixteenth base of the season.
- Whritenour improved to 5-for-5 in save alternatives.
- The Gators have recorded double-digit strikeouts in 23 of the final 28 video games.
- The Gators have gained 41 of their final 54 regular-season video games relationship again to 2025.
- Florida is now 59-57 all-time and 34-18 in Gainesville in opposition to Ole Miss.
- The Gators are 22-18 total and 12-5 at house vs. the Rebels underneath Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan.
- Florida has gained 11 of the final 14 conferences in opposition to Ole Miss in Gainesville.
- Friday evening’s official attendance was 5,911.
FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O’SULLIVAN
On King’s pitching efficiency…
“It was the performance we needed to have, honestly, because I knew how good Hunter Elliott was. And obviously, [King] was outstanding. Threw a bunch of fastballs earlier on both sides of the plate, started mixing in some changeups the second time through, and the third time through started mixing in the slider a little bit more. But was just outstanding, and that’s what we needed obviously…”
On Cyr’s unbelievable working catch…
“Unbelievable. Unbelievable. That and the double play there in the eighth was awesome. That was a really good game. Especially coming out last night where we played poorly, but that play was incredible.”
On what he is in search of from the second half of the lineup…
“Move the ball a little bit more. Limit the swing and miss. Those guys will probably have some more action, but they just got to move the ball just a little bit. All in all, I thought the at bats from a combined one-through-nine, we got one of the best pitchers in the country out after four. Sometimes the hit column doesn’t really tell you the whole story.”
ON DECK
The Gators and Rebels face off within the sequence finale on Saturday evening, which can air on SEC Network at 7:30 p.m. Junior righty Russell Sandefer (2-1, 4.24 ERA) will get the ball for the Gators in opposition to right-hander Cade Townsend (2-1, 1.90 ERA) of Ole Miss.
