The FIU Panthers made their way up to Gainesville for a two-game midweek series against the No. 10 Florida Gators. Despite a strong fight early in both games, the Panthers dropped both contests, now on a three-game losing streak as they head into the weekend.
Game One
Georgia State transfer Quinn McManmon took the bump for game one of the series and went 2.1 innings, allowing two runs on one hit, striking out four. After recording back-to-back strikeouts in the bottom of the third inning, McManmon was taken out in place of Miami Dade transfer Enrique Sierra, who surrendered an RBI double, tying the game at two apiece after the Panthers took an early 2-0 lead thanks to a Aidan Cohall grounded out to first base. Andrew Ildefsonso advanced to third and Sammy Fisch advanced to third, but scored on a throwing error.
that’s the stuff 😤 @quinmcmanmon pic.twitter.com/jzrAadNxQv
— FIU Baseball (@FIUBaseball) February 25, 2026
Between the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings, the Gators dropped 14 runs. Sierra surrendered five runs while lefty Cooper Foster allowed another five runs. Tyler Mecchella then entered the game, allowing four runs before the end of the inning. Following the bottom of the fifth, Florida would go on to score just one more run in the game, coming in the bottom of the seventh.
The Panthers put up two runs in the top of the fourth inning thanks to a sac fly from Cooper Rasmussen and an RBI double from Sammy Fischer, driving in Vicente Feliciano. That gave FIU a 4-2 lead.
It wouldn’t be until the sixth inning that FIU put up four runs. Andrew Ildefonso knocked in an RBI double, driving in Enrique Alvarez Jr. and Vicente Feliciano. JUCO transfer Boston Doeschot drove in Ildefonso on an RBI single, making it 16-8.
FIU made one final effort at the top of the ninth inning, putting up three runs thanks to an RBI double from Caden Samler, driving in two, and an RBI single from Alvarez, driving in the Panthers 11th and final run of the game.
The Panthers fell to 6-3 on the season, while the Gators improved to 8-1.
Game Two
For a second straight game, FIU opened up the game scoring a run in the top of the first inning on an Aidan Cohall RBI groundout.
Returner Julian Mlodzinski made his first start of the season where in 1.2 innings, he surrendered three runs on five hits. He faced 10 batters. The Gators’ first run of the game was via a balk and in the bottom of the second, an RBI groundout gave Florida a 2-1 lead. An RBI single extended the Gators’ lead, 3-1.
Andrew Ildefonso extended his season-long hit streak to 10 games as he hit his first home run of the season, but trailed 3-2. Hector Candelas smacked an RBI single to tie the game at three apiece.
ILDY CRUSHES THAT BALL 💣 pic.twitter.com/CDwc566e05
— FIU Baseball (@FIUBaseball) February 25, 2026
The Gators four run bottom of the fourth inning would give them a 7-3 lead that FIU cut down to only three after shortstop Mario Trivella hit his fourth home run of the season at 106 mph.
Another run in the fifth and three more in the bottom of the seventh would be more than enough for Florida to take a commanding 11-4 lead and defeat the Panthers.
What’s next?
The Panthers will return home as they welcome the Stony Brook Seawolves in a three-game set before welcoming Boston College, an ACC opponent, for a two-game midweek series.
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