Florida had to sweat out Selection Monday as one of the last teams fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament field. Two weeks later, the Gators will be packing their bags for Omaha.
UF is going back to the College World Series after sweeping No. 6 national seed Clemson in the Super Regional. Kevin O’Sullivan’s team had to regroup in extra innings to pick up the Game 2 victory and punch its CWS ticket.
The Gators had a 7-4 lead in the top of the 8th inning. It was cut to 7-6, but extended back to 9-6 in the bottom half of the frame.
Clemson is the regional host, but was the “away” team for Game 2. Down to their last two outs, the Tigers stayed alive with a 3-run blast from Cam Cannarella. In the 10th, Cannarella made a sensational catch to keep Florida from scoring the winning run on a deep fly to center.
It remained a 9-9 game through 12 innings. In the top of the 13th, Alden Mathes hit a solo home run to put Clemson up 10-9, its first lead since 3-2 in the 3rd.
Florida made the most of having the last at-bat. Luke Heyman and Tyler Shelnut hit back-to-back singles. They were bunted over by Dale Thomas for the first out.
Clemson opted to walk Brody Donay to load the bases and set up a force out at home or double-play ball.
Michael Robertson would be the game’s final batter. His 1-out knock to left-center field on a 1-0 count plated the tying and winning runs for the 11-10 walk-off victory.
#Gators are going back to Omaha: Florida walks it off in the 13th! Down 10-9, Michael Robertson drives in 2 on a 1-out knockpic.twitter.com/L0Q8bXVEK2
— Saturday Down South (@SatDownSouth) June 9, 2024
Florida is the first SEC team to punch its ticket to the College World Series, joining Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia in Omaha. The remaining spots will be decided Sunday and Monday.
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Highlights from a Super thriller in Clemson
After going with starter Liam Peterson in Game 1, Florida turned to its 2-way star Jac Caglianone on the mound for Game 2.
Caglianone provided his own run support to break the scoring ice in a big way. He blasted a ball over the batter’s eye to make it 2-0 in the 1st inning.
Jac Caglianone doing Jactani things! #Gators pitcher helps his cause at the plate with a 432-foot 2-run homer over the batter’s eye to give UF a 2-0 lead in Game 2 of Clemson Super Regional.pic.twitter.com/5Yprf0QkzP
— Saturday Down South (@SatDownSouth) June 9, 2024
The momentum shifted due to a controversial ending to the top of the 2nd inning. With 1 on and 2 out, Clemson’s Nolan Nawrocki grounded back to Caglianone. Making the unassisted putout, Caglianone made a hard tag. There was a mini scuffle of words exchanged and brief contact between the two.
The incident prompted a lengthy review of over 15 minutes. The umpires ejected Jack Crighton for leaving his place on the field (second base) to join the skirmish.
A bit of trouble between Clemson and Florida pic.twitter.com/dl1qo7UmyS
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) June 9, 2024
The ejection fired up the Clemson crowd and gave the Tigers a spark. Clemson took the lead with 3 runs in the top of the 3rd inning off of a walk, RBI double and 2-run homer.
Blake Wright (@BlakeWr86324186) just blew the roof off of DKS!!!
405 ft
104 mphT3 || CU 3, FLA 2
https://t.co/ozP6rh44g0 pic.twitter.com/00txQHHSJy
— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) June 9, 2024
The momentum shift did not last too long. Colby Shelton provided the next 3 RBIs. He hit an RBI single to tie it up 3-3 in the bottom of the 3rd. In the 5th, he brought home two more with another clutch single.
Two more ribeyes for Shelton #GoGators // ESPN pic.twitter.com/N7QrSC47zt
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) June 9, 2024
Clemson wasn’t giving up. The Tigers cut the deficit in the top of the 6th with a solo homer off the bat of Jimmy Obertop.
Jimmy Obertop doing Jimmy Obertop things! ⚾️
359 ft
106 mphT6 || CU 4, FLA 5
https://t.co/ozP6rh44g0 pic.twitter.com/heuwQE5FhT
— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) June 9, 2024
Florida again put a quick end to Clemson’s momentum. Brody Donay crushed a 2-run shot in the bottom of the 6th to extend UF’s lead to 7-4.
DONAY DINGER #GoGators // ESPN pic.twitter.com/WR4cROTfEB
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) June 9, 2024
O’Sullivan turned to Jake Clemente to relieve Caglianone on the mound in the 6th inning. In the 7th, Clemente struck out the side to keep it a 3-run game.
Clemson got to Clemente in the top of the 8th. An infield single turned into a 2-bagger for Blake Wright after a throwing error. The next batter, Cam Cannarella, singled to plate Wright, an unearned run, to cut it to 7-5.
Clemente walked the next batter, prompting O’Sullivan to turn to Brandon Neely with 2 on and no outs. Neely, who threw 59 pitches in Saturday’s game for the save, struck out his first batter but allowed an inherited runner to score, giving up a 1-out RBI single to Tryston McCladdie, the freshman who replaced the ejected Crighton. Neely recovered, forcing back-to-back flyouts to strand two, preserving Florida’s lead.
Ashton Wilson, a transfer who only recently cracked the Florida lineup due to injuries, provided some insurance with a 2-out, 2-run blast to left-center field, making Clemson pay for its intentional walk of Caglianone and getting it back to a 3-run game.
AW30 said see ya #GoGators // ESPN pic.twitter.com/54RvDo2fiw
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) June 9, 2024
Neely returned for the top of the 9th inning. He retired his first batter, but Clemson wasn’t done battling. Jacob Hinderleider and Blake Wright provided back-to-back 1-out singles.
O’Sullivan visited the mound, and decided to stick with Neely. Cam Cannarella came to the plate as the tying run and made the Gators pay for the decision, delivering a 3-run blast to keep the game going.
TIE GAME IN CLEMSON ❗️❗️❗️#RoadToOmaha x ESPN / @ClemsonBaseball pic.twitter.com/Akvc891jwt
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 9, 2024
Florida had the chance to walk it off in the bottom of the 10th inning. The Gators had 2 on with 2 outs. Wilson flied to deep center, but Cannarella was determined to keep Clemson’s season alive. The center fielder made a catch for the ages to record the third out and end the inning.
PLAY OF THE YEAR BY @CAMCANNARELLA!!!!! ⚾️️
https://t.co/ozP6rh44g0 pic.twitter.com/9hvFE4gt3J
— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) June 9, 2024
In the 12th, O’Sullivan brought in Frank Menendez, ending Neely’s day. Menendez walked his first batter and only made it to a 2-0 count on the next before O’Sullivan made another pitching change, opting for freshman right-hander Luke McNeillie.
The move worked for the top of the 12th. McNeillie removed his inherited runner and batter by inducing a 4-6-3 double play. He retired Clemson’s next batter on a strikeout.
Clemson went back in front for the first time since the 3rd inning when Alden Mathes hit a 2-out solo home run in the top of the 13th.
Alden Mathes gives Clemson the lead with a solo HR in the top of the 13th pic.twitter.com/OVV7m8oqlm
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 9, 2024
With the 13th-inning heroics, McNeillie was the game’s winning pitcher.
