Gator Baseball Wins Series Against Missouri
By Will Thomas
Over the weekend, the Florida baseball team took 2 out of 3 on the road against the Missouri Tigers. The series win can be largely credited to some great pitching, as the Tigers only scored 9 runs all weekend, with a series high of 5 runs in their lone win.
In the opener of the 3 game set, Brandon Sproat threw 6.2 innings with 3 hits, 1 earned run, and 7 strikeouts. 1 run was plenty for the UF bats to overcome, as they hung 13 on Mizzou, including home runs from Wyatt Langford, Josh Rivera, Jac Caglianone, and Colby Halter.
The second game of the series wasn’t quite as favorable for the Gators, as they lost 3-5. Pitcher Brandon Neely surrendered 7 hits and 4 earned runs in 4.2 innings of work. The bullpen did well themselves, covering 3.1 innings and only giving up 1 run.
BT Riopelle was the most active member of the Gators’ offense, as he had 2 hits and knocked in all 3 runs on the day.
The final game of the series saw UF get back into rhythm, as they won 4-3. Nick Pogue had a great performance, throwing 6.2 innings with 8 strikeouts, while giving up 5 hits and 3 earned runs. Ryan Slater picked up the save as he threw 1.1 innings and gave up no hits.
The offense of the Gators came from the 7 and 8 hitters in the lineup. Josh Rivera launched a 2 run homer in the 5th inning to tie the game, and Kris Armstrong, who totaled 3 hits on the day, singled to knock in 2 more runs in the 6th.
The series propelled the Gators up to a 32-19 record overall, and just one game under .500 in SEC play (13-14). This week, they’ll take on FSU for one game on Tuesday, and their final series of the season begins on Thursday against South Carolina.
Florida will be looking to win at least 2 of their final 4 games, as they’ll try to get some momentum prior to the SEC Tournament which begins on May 24.
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