No. 17 Miami Falls to No. 10 Florida, 8-4

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The 17th-ranked Miami Hurricanes baseball team fell to the tenth-ranked Florida Gators, 8-4, Saturday night at Mark Light Field.

Florida improved to 11-1, while Miami fell to 10-2. Florida’s Ricky Reeth (2-0) earned the win in relief, tossing 4.0 innings and allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts. 

Rob Evans (2-1) was charged with the loss after allowing five runs on five hits across six innings, striking out a career-high 12 batters.

Miami jumped in front in the first when Derek Williams drove a three-run home run to deep left, his fifth of the season, launching the Hurricanes to a 3-0 lead. Florida responded in the second with four runs on five hits, highlighted by a two-run double from Kyle Jones to take a 4-3 advantage.

Florida stretched its lead in the seventh without notching a hit. After a hit-by-pitch and two walks loaded the bases, a late balk call was issued on Miami reliever Ryan Bilka by the third-base umpire following a flyout to center, allowing Cash Strayer to score from third and push the Gators’ advantage to 5-4.

Miami tied the ballgame in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Daniel Cuvet that scored Michael Torres with a play at the plate, but Florida added three more in the ninth when Ethan Surowiec delivered a three-run home run to left field.

The series finale will take place Sunday at 1 p.m. with live coverage on ACCNX and on the radio at WVUM 90.5 FM.

To stay up to date with the University of Miami baseball team, be sure to follow @canesbaseball on Instagram, X and Facebook.