Florida baseball overcame a two-run deficit in the first inning to defeat the Ontario Blue Jays — a Canadian amateur team — 7-4 in an exhibition contest at Condron Family Ballpark on Wednesday night. With the win, the Gators improved to 3-0 in exhibition games this fall.

The Blue Jays got on the board early with a two-out, two-run double down the right-field line by Clark Heimbecker to bring home Julien Vickers and Evan Payne, who reached base on a single and walk, respectively. Ontario's other two runs came in the ninth inning when Mikey Batiste singled home Vickers and Heimbecker drove home Payne on a groundout to first base.

Florida struck back in the third with three runs to take a lead it would not relinquish. AJ Malzone led the inning off with a four-pitch walk and was followed by consecutive singles from Braylen Montgomery and Luke Labbe — but Malzone was erased trying to stretch to third on Montgomery's base hit — before Kyle McDaniel was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Montgomery was plated on a sac fly by John Martinez, while Labbe came home on a Nic Partridge single and McDaniel came home on a wild pitch to make it a 3-2 game.

The Gators struck again in the sixth with three more runs on a three-run shot off Partridge's bat after consecutive walks to McDaniel and Martinez, extending the lead to 6-2. Florida's final run came in the seventh when Jacob Kendall led off the frame with a solo homer after working a full count.

Partridge paced the Orange and Blue with a 3-for-4 effort that saw him cross the plate once and drive home four of his teammates without drawing a walk or striking out. Martinez and Montgomery added a pair of hits, while Labbe, Tyler Ellis, Eddie Marshall and Jacob Kendall all had a hit apiece.

Seven pitchers took the mound for Florida, with Brady Snow opening things up and surrendering a pair of runs in one inning of work on two hits and a walk while striking out one. Carter Cox earned the win thanks to his two frames of shutout ball on just one walk and four strikeouts, followed by Sam Lovitz's 2/3 inning outing that saw him give up two hits while striking out two.

Ethan Wheeler gave his team 2 1/3 perfect frames and five strikeouts, while Colin White and Cameron Hanes also each gave the Gators a perfect inning with one and three strikeouts, respectively. Keaton Neal pitched the ninth and surrendered the final two runs of the game — only one earned — on three hits while striking out two.

Both teams made one error apiece.

Next up, the Gators remain home at Condron Family Ballpark for their final two fall exhibition games, beginning with a matchup against Mercer on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 p.m. ET. Florida concludes its fall slate vs. Air Force on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 11 a.m. ET.

Florida Gators vs Ontario Blue Jays game notes

• Florida has homered 10 times and scored 32 runs in three fall exhibition games;

• The Gators have recorded double-digit hits in all three fall contests;

• Florida played 28 defensive innings this fall before committing its first error in the ninth inning against Ontario;

• Cox pitched two scoreless, no-hit innings of relief with four strikeouts to one walk;

• Wheeler retired all seven batters he faced over 2 1/3 innings while striking out five;

• Partridge connected for a three-run homer in the sixth, marking his second-straight fall exhibition game with a home run;

• White struck out all three batters he faced in the seventh;

• Kendall hit his first home run of the fall in the bottom of the seventh;

• Five Gators (Cox, Lovitz, Wheeler, White, Hanes) logged scoreless outings;

• Every Gator that pitched recorded at least one strikeout;

• The Gators have won 11 straight fall ball exhibitions since 2022;

• This was the first-ever meeting between Florida and the Ontario Blue Jays – a Canadian amateur team.