The Florida Gators came from the swamp to the ‘Sip to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Mother’s Day weekend. 
Entering game one, Brad Cumbest was hitting a .319, while RJ Yeager and Kamren James shared a hot bat, both hitting .316. 
MSU struggled defensively early in Friday’s game. Back-to-back homers by UF in the second made it a 6-0 deficit.
MSU’s first hit of the night came from Luke Hancock in the fourth inning. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs weren’t able to drive in any runs.
“That’s how baseball is,” Hancock said. “We get the same opportunity to come out tomorrow night and play better baseball.”
Halfway through the affair, the bulldogs picked up their bats. Base hits sneaked up the middle, allowing MSU to score a pair of runs. The Diamond Dawgs began to rally after putting up three runs in the bottom of the seventh. 
The Cardiac Dawgs turned out to be a one trick pony in the affair, though, and did not come out of the dugout again after the seventh inning. Florida escaped with an 8-6 win over Mississippi State in the opener. 
“Nobody feels sorry for us,” head coach Chris Lemonis said. “We have got to play better; the sand glass is emptying out.”
Saturday’s outing for Preston Johnson was balanced by a mixture of UF runs and must-have punch outs.
“Preston was good and competitive in his start, and Pico (Kohn) had one of the better outings of his young career,” coach Lemonis said. 
Florida’s starter, Ryan Slater, gave up a leadoff walk after having only two previous walks on the year. With runners at the corners, MSU was able to drive in a much needed early run.
In the fourth, MSU took the lead. Unfortunately, the Gators wasted no time and plated two runs in the fifth. State tied it up again in the seventh after RJ Yeager delivered on a double play. After the seventh, though, Florida went to work while the Bulldogs could just watch.
The Gators had a six-run ninth inning, completing the UF comeback and making the final 9-3, Florida’s victory. It nearly scattered the playoff hopes of the reeling Bulldogs. 
Kamren James relayed his frustrations after the game.
“I’ve never really lost a whole lot in my baseball career,” James said. “This really sucks a bit. If we keep working, baseball always comes back around.” 
Sunday’s game brought a pitching duel between Cade Smith of MSU and Florida’s Nick Pogue. Pogue had his first outing of the 2022 season, and allowed the Bulldogs one run in the first inning.
Florida answered MSU’s run in the top of the second, and the game remained tied with one apiece until the eighth. Pico Kohn then came in as Smith’s relief and gave up a one run shot.
For the third time on the weekend, the Bulldogs failed to stay alive in the late innings. Logan Tanner hit a solo homer in the ninth, but the Bulldogs were unable to provide any more run support. Florida defeated MSU 6-2 and swept the series. 
Mississippi State will take some time to regroup and face North Alabama in their next game on May 17 at 7 p.m.