Jac Caglianone blasted a three-run home run and Tyler Shelnut’s solo shot ultimately provided the difference as Florida eliminated No. 10 North Carolina State 5-4 on Monday at the Men’s College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
The Gators (35-29), who had only four hits, advanced to Tuesday night’s elimination game against the loser of the Kentucky/Texas A&M game on Monday night. Florida had lost its opening game 3-2 to No. 3 Texas A&M.
The Wolfpack (38-23) also lost 5-4 to No. 2 Kentucky, which used a walk-off homer with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning on Saturday.
Caglianone started Monday’s game on the mound for Florida and lasted one inning. With one out, he hit one batter and walked two to load the bases for Brandon Butterworth, whose single to shallow left plated the game’s first run.
Butterworth also delivered and RBI double in the fifth to account for the Wolfpack’s final run.
Florida responded to the early deficit with a four-run second inning. NC State starter Dominic Fritton retired one batter before walking two and yielding a single to load the bases for Cade Kurland, whose sacrifice fly evened the score. Caglianone then homered to right center for a 4-1 lead. It was his 34th home run of the season.
Alec Makarewicz hit his 24th homer this season, a two-run shot off Cade Fisher, to cut the Gators’ advantage to 4-3 in the third inning.
Shelnut’s two-out home run off Logan Whitaker pushed the Florida edge to 5-3 in the fifth. It was Shelnut’s 16th homer this season.
Fisher (4-3) earned the win after yielding three runs, four hits and one walk with three strikeouts in four innings. Brandon Neely went the final three innings, allowing only one hit while fanning six, to collect his fifth save.
Fritton (3-7) gave up four runs on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts in two innings.
–Field Level Media