King leads the way, dominating Florida's series-opening win over No. 4 Georgia

Florida held UGA to a season-low of three runs on two hits on Friday

Apr. 11, 2026 at 3:41am

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A cubist, geometric painting in bright colors representing the energy and intensity of a college baseball game, with overlapping planes and shapes that deconstruct the action on the field.Aidan King's dominant pitching performance and Florida's explosive offense propelled the Gators to a crucial series-opening win over a top-5 opponent.Athens Today

Florida pitcher Aidan King delivered a dominant performance, retiring the first 18 batters he faced and carrying a perfect game into the seventh inning, as the Gators defeated the fourth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs 8-2 in the series opener on Friday night. King went 7.2 innings, allowing just three hits and two runs while striking out six. The Gators' offense broke through with a seven-run seventh inning to pull away.

Why it matters

This win over a top-5 opponent is a significant boost for Florida's postseason resume, as the Gators improve to 26-9 overall and 9-0 against ranked teams this season. The strong outing from King also provides confidence that the Gators' pitching staff can neutralize even the best offenses in the country.

The details

Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan decided to move Aidan King to the Friday starter role, hoping to get longer outings from his ace. King delivered, retiring the first 18 batters he faced and carrying a perfect game into the seventh inning. He finished with 7.2 innings pitched, allowing just three hits and two runs while striking out six. The Gators' offense broke through with a seven-run seventh inning, highlighted by a bases-clearing double from Blake Cyr and back-to-back home runs from Landon Stripling and Cole Stanford.

  • On Friday, April 11, 2026, Florida defeated Georgia 8-2 in the series opener.
  • Aidan King retired the first 18 batters he faced and carried a perfect game into the seventh inning.

The players

Aidan King

Florida's starting pitcher who delivered a dominant performance, retiring the first 18 batters he faced and carrying a perfect game into the seventh inning.

Kevin O'Sullivan

Florida's head coach who decided to move Aidan King to the Friday starter role, hoping to get longer outings from his ace.

Blake Cyr

Florida's hitter who hit a bases-clearing double in the seven-run seventh inning to open up the game.

Landon Stripling

Florida's hitter who hit a home run in the seven-run seventh inning.

Cole Stanford

Florida's hitter who hit a home run in the seven-run seventh inning.

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What they’re saying

“I've been here 19 years now and that's as good a game that I've seen pitched.”

— Kevin O'Sullivan, Florida head coach

“He was in total command the entire game. ...And he had to be because it was a one-run game going through six and then obviously, you know, we got the big seven-run seventh inning and kind of opened things up.”

— Kevin O'Sullivan, Florida head coach

“Just the trust in Karson (Bowen), the defense behind me, I couldn't ask for anything better. My job was to go out there and throw strikes. It didn't matter if I was throwing today or tomorrow, it's another day for me.”

— Aidan King, Florida pitcher

“Awesome. I really think highly of Ricky. He's kind of a throwback... You just see how valuable he is.”

— Kevin O'Sullivan, Florida head coach

What’s next

Florida will look to clinch the series on Saturday when Liam Peterson takes the mound against Georgia. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

The takeaway

This dominant performance from Aidan King and the Florida pitching staff, combined with the Gators' explosive seven-run seventh inning, shows that Florida can compete with and defeat even the top teams in the country. The Gators' 9-0 record against ranked opponents this season is an impressive feat that boosts their postseason resume.