No. 6 South Carolina sweeps series against No. 3 Florida; Ethan Petry sets Gamecock record

No. 6 South Carolina swept No. 3 Florida in Columbia in a pivotal SEC clash. The Gamecocks took Game 1 13-3 in seven innings, wrapped Game 2 with a 5-2 win and secured Game 3 with a 7-5 win for an impressive series sweep.

• Game 1: No. 6 South Carolina 13, No. 3 Florida 3 | Final stats
• Game 2: No. 6 South Carolina 5, No. 3 Florida 2 | Final stats
• Game 3: No. 6 South Carolina 7, No. 3 Florida 5  | Final stats

Here are updates from every game of the three-game series:

Game 3 FINAL: South Carolina sweeps Florida, wins game three 7-5

South Carolina defeated Florida 7-5 to sweep the Gators in a battle of top-six teams. 

In the third game, the Gamecocks scored seven runs, adding its final score in the bottom of the eighth inning. South Carolina entered the series as the most home-run-heavy team in the country and added another home run in game three from Braylen Wimmer. South Carolina has now hit 92 over the fence this season, adding four against the Gators.

Freshman sensation Ethan Petry was one of the home-run hitters, going long in game 1. Petry set the Gamecock freshman record for RBIs during the weekend series.

After game three's result, South Carolina improves to 34-6 (13-4 SEC) while Florida falls to 31-10 (11-7 SEC).

Final game three stats from Founders Park:

SCAR 6-4 UF | T8 - Florida cuts deficit to two runs

Florida scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning after RBI by Jac Caglianone and Josh Rivera.

The Grand Rivera 💪#GoGators // 📺 https://t.co/s26dMs9mAg pic.twitter.com/JxAS0Ey72N

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) April 22, 2023

SCAR 6-2 UF | T7 - South Carolina leads entering 7th inning stretch

The Gamecocks and Gators each added a run in the fifth inning, highlighted by another solo home run from Florida's Cade Kurland. The Gamecocks are two innings away from a series sweep.

Big kid blast 🚀#GoGators // 📺 https://t.co/s26dMs9mAg pic.twitter.com/ozJAWIGe4x

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) April 22, 2023

SCAR 5-1 UF | B4 - South Carolina extends lead; Petry makes history

South Carolina's Ethan Petry made history with his fifth-inning double that brought home two runners. Petry's two RBI give him the Gamecock freshman record for RBIs.

Your new Carolina freshman RBI record holder @ethanpetry23

SECN+#Gamecocks | #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/PUfV0ineLM

— Gamecock Baseball (@GamecockBasebll) April 22, 2023

Earlier in the second inning, South Carolina and Florida each scored a run. The Gamecock score came on a ground out while the Gator score came from a solo home run by Cade Kurland.

🥔 𝘾𝘼𝘿𝙀𝙍 𝙈𝘼𝘿𝙀 𝙏𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 🥔#GoGators // 📺 https://t.co/s26dMs9mAg pic.twitter.com/gHH3lsaIYg

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) April 22, 2023

SCAR 2-0 UF | B1 - South Carolina strikes first

South Carolina's Braylen Wimmer hit at two-run homer in the bottom of the first to give the Gamecocks an early lead on the second at-bat of the inning. Florida walked Ethan Petry on the following at-bat; he remains one RBI away from tying the South Carolina freshman record.

Meanwhile, Florida went 0-3 in the top of first inning.

A Braylen 💣 gets the Gamecocks on the board! @braylenwimmer08

SECN+#Gamecocks | #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/DMskRJDuQH

— Gamecock Baseball (@GamecockBasebll) April 22, 2023

Lineups announced for Game 3

South Carolina enters with a two games to none lead over Florida in the series. Here are the lineups for the final game of the series:

South Carolina lineup

𝗦𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗨𝗣#Gamecocks | #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/A99HuHoqm4

— Gamecock Baseball (@GamecockBasebll) April 22, 2023

Florida lineup

Here's how we'll line up for today's series finale against South Carolina.#GoGators pic.twitter.com/nSsgK9Byjd

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) April 22, 2023

Game 2 FINAL: South Carolina wins 5-2

For the second-straight night, South Carolina's pitching staff nullified the Florida lineup, holding it to just two runs on eight hits.

It's fitting that the Gamecocks' offensive production came courtesy of two long balls from the most home-run-heavy team in the country. South Carolina has now hit 91 over the fence this season. Ethan Petry's three-run bomb in the second inning (his 20th of the season) was all the run support needed for the Gamecock arms.

That's the series clinched for South Carolina, which improves to 33-6 (12-4 SEC) while the Gators fall to 31-9 (11-6 SEC).

It's the first conference series loss in nearly an entire calendar year for Florida, which last dropped an SEC series to Tennessee in April 2022. 

Final stats from Founders Park:

UF 2-5 SCAR | B7 - Both starters pulled

Despite a rough first couple of innings, Florida's Hurston Waldrep completed six innings of work, threw a season-high 112 pitches and struck out 10 in his start tonight.

He finished with six hits and five earned runs allowed, all of which came on just two poorly placed pitches. He settled in afterward, recording seven of his ten strikeouts since the Petry home run to keep the Gators within striking distance.

South Carolina's Jack Mahoney was pulled early in the sixth inning after allowing his second run of the day. He pitched excellently, allowing just two earned runs on five hits.

UF 1-5 SCAR | B2 - Petry opens up four-run lead 💣

He's done it again! The freshman hits his 20th homer of the season, a three-run blast to left field. It's his fourth hit of the series and ups his season RBI total to 62. The only two players in DI baseball with 20+ homers have both gone yard tonight.

The Gamecocks initially took the lead in the bottom of the first through a Cole Messina two-run homer that went to the same part of the field.

Florida starter Hurston Waldrep has allowed five runs in two innings. It'll be interesting to see if he's trusted to continue.

UF 1-0 SCAR | T1 - Caglianone goes deep 💪

A first-pitch breaking ball that ended up outside Founders Park from Jac Caglianone. It's his DI-leading 23rd long ball of the season and after an 0-for-4 day on Thursday, the sophomore slugger jump-starts the game for Florida.

Lineups announced for Game 2

There is just one change to either lineup after Friday's South Carolina win. The Gamecocks' first baseman Gavin Casas is out after a collision on defense in Game 1. That means Cole Messina slides from catcher to first base and Jonathan French fills in behind the plate. Between Casas and the continued absences of Will McGillis and Talmadge LeCroy, three of the Gamecocks' starting infield is out with injury.

Here are the lineups in full:

Game 1 FINAL: South Carolina wins 13-3 (F/7)

This matchup started as a pitchers' duel and quickly derailed once the Gamecocks got to the Florida bullpen. Cole Messina put the finishing touch on an ugly loss for the No. 3 Gators with this game-ending double with the bases juiced.

The Gamecocks scored 10 runs in just two innings, capitalizing on five straight walks in the sixth and more errant plays in the seventh.

It's not often a team scores 13 runs on just eight base hits. Interestingly, all eight came from the trio of Ethan Petry, Cole Messina and Michael Braswell (three doubles!).

Petry finished 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs while his slugging counterpart Jac Caglianone struggled, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

The win goes to Will Sanders (4-1) who pitched six innings, striking out 10 — his most in SEC play — and allowing just three hits. Despite the bullpen woes, the loss is charged to Brandon Sproat (5-2).

UF 3-8 SCAR | E6 - Gator bullpen falls apart 😬

A rough sixth inning for the Florida arms. Starter Brandon Sproat was pulled after allowing a two-out double for Philip Abner, whose job was to end the inning before any real threat materialized. Boy, did that go wrong.

The reliever walked all three batters he faced, eventually letting in the go-ahead run before he, too, was yanked. Nick Ficarotta replaced Abner and walked his first two batters. Five straight free bases — all that before Ethan Petry strolled to the plate and drove in two more with a single.

All in all, ten batters, five runs, just two hits, and one trip around the order (Cole Messina started and ended the inning). 

UF 2-3 SCAR | E4 - Gamecocks lead after four 🐓

The offenses have slowed down a bit after the first inning was showing signs of a shootout. Both starting pitchers had settled in nicely, but the Gamecocks have been able to get three across the plate on Brandon Sproat for a one-run lead heading into the fifth. Here's a look at the stats through four frames.

UF 1-1 SCAR | B1 - Petry launches on first pitch!

It didn't take long for the freshman to make an impact on this one. On this first pitch he saw from Brandon Sproat, Ethan Petry blasted one to left-center field to tie the game. It's his 19th home run of the season, just three off the national lead. The Gators got on the board in the top of the inning through a sacrifice fly.

Lineups announced for Game 1

Here's a look at how each team's batting order and defense. No real surprises in either camp, though Florida's top three hitters are about as scary a trio as there is in the country.

Series preview

Another weekend, another showdown between two of the top teams in the country in No. 3 Florida vs. No. 6 South Carolina.

It's what we've come to expect from SEC baseball — a regular season series that features top-end talent and high quality ball. Stay here for live updates of each game, but here's what you need to know prior to first pitch.

No. 3 Florida vs. No. 6 South Carolina: Schedule, scores, how to watch

• Game 1: No. 6 South Carolina 13, No. 3 Florida 3 | Final stats
• Game 2: No. 6 South Carolina 5, No. 3 Florida 2 | Final stats
• Game 3: Saturday, April 22, 2 p.m. | SECN+ | Live stats

Weekend rotations

Both teams have announced their expected starters for the weekend series, and there aren't any surprises. For the Gators, it's the familiar trio of Sproat-Waldrep-Caglianone.

While South Carolina's third starter spot has rotated a little throughout the season and remains undetermined as of Wednesday, the 1-2 punch of Will Sanders and Jack Mahoney has been nearly bulletproof. Expect to see Matthew Becker or Noah Hall in that Sunday spot. 

Petry vs. Caglianone: Tale of the tape

Two of the country's most productive hitters will be taking center stage in Columbia this weekend: Florida's Jac Caglianone and South Carolina's Ethan Petry.

Caglianone reached 20 homers faster than any other hitter in Florida history, doing so in just 37 games — 12 better than the previous mark. His 22 long balls are the most in DI baseball.

Petry has already broken the South Carolina freshman home run record of 17, set by Justin Smoak in 2006. His batting average of .424 is team-high and the third-highest in the SEC.

Here's a look at how their numbers stack up at this point in the season.

Each team's last 10 games

Florida vs. South Carolina series history

Going into Thursday, the all-time series between the two programs is perfectly tied at 51 wins apiece. In four meetings last season, the Gators won three times, including in the SEC tournament. The last time the two played a series in Columbia was in 2021, when the Gamecocks swept Florida.