GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Interstat) — The Jacksonville Dolphins capitalized on a chaotic first inning and a perfect day from Blake Edmonds to secure a 7-5 victory over the Florida Gators on Tuesday afternoon at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium.

The game’s decisive moment came before many in the crowd of 6,847 had settled into their seats. The Dolphins, who entered as significant underdogs according to predictive metrics, sent 11 batters to the plate in a marathon top of the first inning, scoring seven runs on six hits and benefiting from two critical Florida errors. The outburst came against Florida starter Fisher Jameson, who failed to record an out, and reliever Luke McNeillie, who eventually halted the damage.

Jacksonville’s early offensive explosion stood in stark contrast to the game’s opening pitch time of 6:32 p.m., under cloudy skies with the temperature at 79 degrees. It provided a cushion the Dolphins would methodically reinforce with situational hitting, finishing with three sacrifice flies and two sacrifice bunts among their 11 total hits.

Florida, which saw its record fall to 28-14, immediately chipped away in the bottom half of the frame. Leadoff hitter K. Jones launched a solo home run to left field. The Gators then exploited two Jacksonville errors, with RBI singles from Karson Bowen and Dale Schwarz plating two more unearned runs to cut the deficit to 7-3.

From there, the game evolved into a battle of bullpens. Jacksonville relievers combined for 8 1/3 innings of two-run ball after starter Carson Hobbs was pulled in the first. Key performances came from Payton Waters, who pitched a scoreless ninth for the save, and Ayden Phillips, who recorded a crucial out in the eighth.

Florida’s bullpen, after the rocky start, largely settled in. Caden McDonald provided 3 1/3 innings of long relief, allowing two earned runs. Eli Blair and Ricky Reeth combined for 2 2/3 scoreless frames to keep the Gators within striking distance.

Jacksonville (22-18) added single runs in the third and seventh innings via sacrifice flies from Armando Vergara. The Dolphins then extended their lead in the eighth, scoring two unearned runs against Reeth. Edmonds capped his 4-for-4 afternoon with an RBI double, driving in his second run of the game.

Florida made a final push in the eighth. Blake Cyr, who finished 3-for-5, crushed a solo home run to left. Bowen followed with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Schwarz, pulling the Gators to 7-5. With the tying run at the plate, Phillips entered and induced an inning-ending flyout from H. Yost.

Waters sealed the win in the ninth, striking out Jones and navigating around a walk to secure the Dolphins’ second victory over their in-state rival this season, having also won 4-3 in Gainesville on March 31.

Edmonds led Jacksonville’s offense, while Sammy Mummau added two hits, including an RBI double. Cyr and Bowen, with two hits and an RBI each, paced the Gators’ eight-hit attack.

The most important part of the game was unequivocally the top of the first inning. Jacksonville’s seven-run offensive explosion against Florida’s pitching staff, compounded by defensive miscues, established an immediate and substantial lead that dictated the remainder of the contest. It forced the Gators into an uphill climb against a disciplined Dolphins bullpen that effectively managed the lead with situational hitting and clutch relief pitching, ultimately proving insurmountable despite Florida’s persistent efforts to rally.

Jacksonville will open a three-game series against Queens University of Charlotte at home on Friday. Florida is set to host Texas A&M in a pivotal Southeastern Conference series starting the same day.