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Gators Swept by Georgia, First 0-6 Start in SEC Play Since 2001

Georgia hit six home runs as Florida lost 15-4 in seven innings.

Cam Parker

The Florida Gators were swept by Georgia marking its first 0-6 start in SEC play since 2001.
The Florida Gators were swept by Georgia marking its first 0-6 start in SEC play since 2001. / Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrate

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators on Sunday reached a new low in the Kevin O'Sullivan era with a 15-4 run-rule loss in seven innings to Georgia at Condon Ballpark.

After being swept for the second-straight series, the Gators are now 0-6 in SEC play to start the season, which is its worst start in conference play since 2001.

"I can't recall a weekend quite like this to be honest with you," O'Sullivan said. "Obviously disappointed. Had a team meeting yesterday after the game. Pressed on them a little bit, and obviously they did not respond today."

On the weekend, Georgia outscored Florida 40-13 with an 8-7 win on Friday, 17-2 win on Saturday and the 15-4 win on Sunday as none of Florida's starters in Aidan King, Billy Barlow or Jake Clemente pitched more than four innings in their outings, something O'Sullivan consistently emphasized that needed to change.

Clemente gave up five hits and four earned runs in only two full innings. Relievers Jackson Barberi, Niko Janssens, Caden McDonald and Christian Rodriguez didn't fare any better as all gave up at least two earned runs and didn't last at leach three innings.

Georgia struck first with an RBI double from Ryland Zaborowski in the first inning before a three-run home run from Christian Adams with no outs in the second inning gave the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead.

"The way today started, we we're chasing runs the entire weekend," O'Sullivan said.

Florida freshman infielder Brendan Lawson put the Gators on the board in the second inning with a solo homerun to left field, his sixth of the season, but the Bulldogs, as they did the entire weekend, continued to pour on the runs.

Georgia hit five home runs after Adams' with a two-run shot from Slate Alford in the fourth, a solo shot from Adams in the fifth, a three-run shot from Zaborowski and two-run shot from Nolan McCarthy in the sixth, and a two-run shot from Robbie Burnett in the seventh.

The Gators did get some slight offensive momentum in the sixth with RBIs from Ashton Wilson (single), Cade Kurland (groundout) and Luke Heyman (single), but that would be it for Florida.

Next Up

The Gators will take a trip to Jacksonville on Tuesday for a matchup against rival Florida State for the second of a three-game meetup after Florida beat the Seminoles, 7-2, in Tallahassee on March 11.

With 13 different pitchers taking the mound over the weekend, and original starters Liam Peterson and Pierce Coppola still out by injuries, O'Sullivan is not ready to announce a starter for Tuesday's game.

"We've got no choice but to move on, but our pitching was certainly taxed a little bit this weekend," he said. "... I don't know who's going to start yet on Tuesday, but it's got to be a collective group. We'll have to figure out the picthing. Obviously, what we're doing right now is not working, so we'll make some changes."

First pitch is at 6 p.m. There will be no video streaming or television coverage, but fans can listen to the game on Gators+.

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Cam Parker
CAM PARKER

Cam Parker is a contributing writer at AllGators.com of FanNation-Sports Illustrated and is a recent graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in journalism. He also covers and broadcasts Alachua County high school sports with The Prep Zone and Mainstreet Daily News. When he isn't writing, he enjoys listening to '70s music such as The Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, binge-watching shows and playing with his cat, Chester.

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