GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Interstat) — Florida scored nine unanswered runs after falling behind 6-0 in the first inning to defeat Kentucky 9-6 on Sunday at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium. The Gators improved to 34-18 overall, while the Wildcats dropped to 30-18.

Caden McDonald starred for Florida, both on the mound and at the plate. He pitched 4.1 hitless innings with six strikeouts and as the designated hitter went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs. Hayden Yost added two hits, including a homer, and drove in three runs. Brendan Lawson also homered. Florida used two sacrifice flies in the seventh inning to extend its lead.

Kentucky took an early lead when L. Lawrence drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. In the fourth, Will Marcy hit a three-run homer to make it 6-0. But Florida answered with solo homers from Lawson and McDonald, and Yost’s two-run shot tied the game. McDonald’s second homer of the game in the fourth put Florida ahead 7-6.

Florida added two runs in the seventh on sacrifice flies by Yost and Cyr. Kentucky’s H. Brown homered in the ninth but it was not enough.