Miami appeared to be out of a bases-loaded jam with two outs in the seventh inning in a four-all tie. Ryan Bilka appeared to get Brendan Lawson to fly out to centerfield to end the inning. With Miami players walking off the field, the Hurricanes were motioned back and a balk was called.
The balk sent Cash Strayer home to give Florida a 5-4 lead. Lawson walked before Bilka struck out Ethan Surowiec to end the inning. The damage was done. Florida extended the lead to 8-4 on a three-run home run by Surowiec in the ninth inning.
Miami had a walk and a single in the bottom of the ninth, but Daniel Cuvet grounded out, pitcher to first base to end the game. The Hurricanes set the tone with a three-run Derek Williams HR in the first inning. Florida answered immediately with a four-run second to take the lead.
Sam Miller singled home Karson Bowen for the first run for Florida. Kyle Jones followed with a two-run double to tie the game at three and Miller scored on a wild pitch to go in front 4-3. Miami tied the game in the fifth on a Cuvet sacrifice fly.
Oh man. It appeared Miami was out of a bases loaded jam with Ryan Bilka on the mound. However, Travis Carlson called a balk right as the ball was thrown. Florida, as a result, scores the go-ahead run to make it 5-4. That's brutal for Bilka.
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) March 1, 2026
Wasting a mostly great start
Miami wasted a mostly great start from Rob Evans. Evans pitched 6.0 innings, allowing five earned runs on five hits and a walk with 12 strikeouts. Evans retired 13 consecutive batters from the last out in the second inning through hitting Strayer to leadoff the seventh. Bilka allowed three earned runs in 2.1 innings.
Ricky Reeth got the win for Florida. Reeth pitched four innings, allowing three hits and one earned run with no walks and five strikeouts in relief of star starter Aidan King, who left with an injury. Jones and Strayer had two hits for Florida. Michael Torres and Williams had two hits for Miami.
Florida continues to dominate Miami under head coach Kevin O'Sullivan. The Gators are 45-19 overall and 20-9 in Coral Gables under O'Sullivan. Miami will attempt to avoid the sweep on Sunday with a 1:00 PM Eastern Time first pitch.