UF baseball team claims series opener over Texas A&M, 6-5

COLLEGE STATION, Texas. (WCJB) -A Gator baseball team that has thrived via the long ball all season did so again on Friday. No. 4 Florida unloaded three home runs in a 6-5 series-opening win over Texas A&M in College Station. BT Riopelle went deep twice, while freshman Cade Kurland went opposite field for the go-ahead homer in the seventh as Florida (37-10, 15-7 SEC) won its sixth in a row.

Riopelle had his first multi-homer game of the season and owns nine home runs on the season. His two-run blast opened the scoring in the top of the second, and his solo shot in the sixth restored a Gator lead after the Aggies tied it with four runs in the fourth and fifth.

With the game tied again at 5-5 in the seventh, Kurland hit his 14th homer of the season, the most ever by a Gator second baseman, to give Florida its final lead of the night.

Wyatt Langford went 2-for-3 with a double, while Jac Caglianone was 0-for-4 but did drive in a run on a groundout.

UF starter Brandon Sproat lasted five and a third innings and gave up four earned runs on seven hits. Ryan Slater (7-0) picked up the win out of the bullpen as four Florida relievers combined to blank the Aggies over the final three and two thirds innings.

Florida and Texas A&M play the middle game of their series Saturday at 6 p.m.

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