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Florida Gators rally to beat Kentucky with 7-6 walk-off win

On3 imageby: Zach Abolverdi05/09/26ZachAbolverdi

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The No. 13 Florida Gators won the series opener against Kentucky on Friday night with a 7-6 come-from-behind victory. UF rallied with a five-spot in the eighth and then walked it off on Kyle Jones’ RBI single with bases loaded.

The Gators found themselves trailing 6-1 after the seventh inning, when pitcher Aidan King was replaced by Schuyler Sandford and the Wildcats scored two more runs on four of their 10 hits. But Sandford chucked a scoreless eighth to set up the comeback.

Kentucky turned to its third, fourth and fifth pitchers in the bottom of the inning, and Florida took advantage. A leadoff double by Caden McDonald led to an RBI groundout and then the Gators loaded the bases with two outs before a huge hit Brendan Lawson.

Lawson’s double to left field cleared the bags as he made it to third on an error and then scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. Joshua Whritenour pitched a scoreless frame in the ninth before the Gators loaded the bases again with Karson Bowen’s double two walks.

The brought UF to the top of its lineup and Jones delivered as the leadoff man. After starting 0-for-3 at the plate with one strikeout, Jones finally connected with a single to left field to plate the game-winning score in walk-off fashion as he was doused with water.

The Gators accounted for half of their 12 hits and six runs in the eighth and ninth, with their first score coming on Cade Kurland’s leadoff homer in the third. Whritenour earned the win and King struck out six Wildcats in 6.1 innings with six hits and five runs allowed.

Here are live updates from Florida (33-17, 14-11 SEC) vs. Kentucky (29-17, 11-14 SEC):

By:Zach Abolverdi

End of 8th: Florida 6, Kentucky 6

05/08/2026 11:04:28 PM

The Gators rallied in the eighth with a five-spot after Kentucky turned to relivers Tristan Hunter and Nile Adcock. McDonald started it off with a leadoff double and then scored on Bowen’s RBI groundout. After Kurland reached, Yost singled and Jones was walked to load the bases, Lawson smacked a double to bring home all three runners and reached third on an error in left field. Lawson then scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. Sandford pitched his first scoreless frame.

By:Zach Abolverdi

End of 7th: Kentucky 6, Florida 1

05/08/2026 10:39:37 PM

King was pulled in the seventh as the Wildcats scored two more runs on four hits, three against reliver Schuyler Sandford. After King gave up his sixth hit to Caeden Cloud, Kentucky leadoff man Jayce Tharnish had an RBI single vs. Sandford to score Cloud. Lawrence’s RBI hit then plated Campbell. King finished with six strikeouts, five runs earned and one walk in 6.1 innings (93 pitches, 62 strikes). Cyr hit a two-out single, but Surowiec struck out swinging and the Gators once again left two on for the fourth time in five innings. The Gators have nine total LOB and UK has just four.

By:Zach Abolverdi

End of 6th: Kentucky 4, Florida 1

05/08/2026 10:14:10 PM

King tossed his second straight 1-2-3 frame, fanning Hudson Brown for the last out and his sixth K. Landon Stripling hit a huge two-out double to send Bowen to third after he reached on a throwing error by Kentucky catcher Owen Jenkins, but the tying runs were once again stranded as Kurland strikes out looking. UF left two on base for the third time in four innings.

By:Zach Abolverdi

End of 5th: Kentucky 4, Florida 1

05/08/2026 09:57:18 PM

Quick work from King, who bounced back from the last two innings with his second 1-2-3 frame and his fifth strikeout. The Gators couldn’t capitalize on Kentucky’s pitching change as freshman reliver Jack Sams retired the side in order. Six of UF’s nine batters are 0-for-2 so far, with the Kurland (2), McDonald and Bowen having the only hits so far.

By:Zach Abolverdi

End of 4th: Kentucky 4, Florida 1

05/08/2026 09:41:55 PM

The Wildcats had more success against King, scoring another run with their third RBI double of the game, this time by Caeden Cloud to plate Jenkins after his second hit. King has more hits (5) than strikeouts (4) through four. The Gators couldn’t answer in the bottom half despite singles from Bowen and Kurland. The fourth marked the second straight inning that UF has stranded two.

By:Zach Abolverdi

End of 3rd: Kentucky 3, Florida 1

05/08/2026 09:26:36 PM

The Wildcats had a three-spot in the third with three runs on three hits, including a pair of RBI doubles, while King had his fourth strikeout. Kentucky’s Owen Jenkins hit a leadoff single and then Scott Campbell Jr. doubled to left center to score Jenkins. After Tyler Bell was walked, Luke Lawrence smacked another double to left center to score Campbell and Bell. Cade Kurland responded in the bottom of the third with a leadoff homer, his third of the season. Two more Gators reached when Brendan Lawson was hit by a pitch and Blake Cyr was walked, but the tying runs were stranded.

By:Zach Abolverdi

End of 2nd: Florida 0, Kentucky 0

05/08/2026 08:55:26 PM

King struck out his third Wildcat to open the frame. He hit Hudson Brown with a pitch, but UF catcher Karson Bowen caught Brown stealing second for the last out. Caden McDonald delivered Florida’s first hit of the night, but Landon Stripling flied out to left field and stranded McDonald after he made it second on a wild pitch.

By:Zach Abolverdi

End of 1st: Florida 0, Kentucky 0

05/08/2026 08:42:12 PM

UF pitcher Aidan King almost opened the game with an immaculate inning, striking out the first two batters on six pitches and then getting up with an 0-2 count before just missing the strike zone for a third K. His 10th pitch yielded a groundout for a 1-2-3 frame. The Gators went three up and three down as well.

Florida Gators Starting Lineup

1. CF Kyle Jones
2. SS Brendan Lawson
3. LF Blake Cyr
4. 3B Ethan Surowiec
5. DH Caden McDonald
6. C Karson Bowen
7. 1B Landon Stripling
8. 2B Cade Kurland
9. RF Hayden Yost

SP: RHP Aidan King

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