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Game One: Florida 8, Mizzou 6

Playing just eleven hours after the conclusion of the series opener, Florida topped Missouri 8-6 in the first game of Saturday’s double-header. The entire series wrapped up in just under twenty-four hours.

How It Happened:

Missouri jumped on the Gators in the second inning, scoring five runs off Tommy Mace in the frame. Mark Vierling highlighted the inning with a two-run homer to right.

The Gators chipped away in the bottom of the inning, as Jud Fabian scored on a Josh Rivera fielder’s choice.

Florida’s offense erupted in the fifth inning as the Gators tacked on five runs. A Colby Halter walk, a Jordan Carrion single followed by a walk to Jacob Young loaded the bases with nobody out. Nathan Hickey walked to plate Halter then Kirby McMullen singled to score Carrion to create a 5-3 ballgame. Kendrick Calilao followed with a sacrifice fly to bring the Gators within one. Two batters later, Rivera singled to the gap in left center that scored two and put Florida on top 6-5.

The Tigers evened it up on a double play in the sixth, but Florida would score in the bottom of the inning to regain control as McMullen’s sacrifice fly scored Young.

Leading 7-6 in the bottom of the eighth, Young took the first pitch he saw back up the middle to score Halter for an added run of insurance.

For the second straight outing Jack Leftwich was dominant. Entering with two on and no out in the fifth, the righty forced a double play and escaped the jam. Leftwich tossed four innings and didn’t allow a walk or a hit and struck out two. Leftwich earned his sixth win of the season (6-2).

Game Two: Florida 6, Mizzou 4

In game two Florida defeated the Tigers 6-4 and moved to 9-6 in SEC at the halfway point of the conference schedule.

How It Happened:

Florida got on the scoreboard first in the second inning. Fabian scored the first run on a wild pitch from Zach Hise. A single from Halter scored Thompson to put the Gators up 2-0.

A single by Torin Montgomery scored Clayton Peterson to put the Tigers on the scoreboard.

Solid pitching from both sides prohibited any scoring until the Gators broke through in the seventh. An RBI single from Calilao scored Young, then a bases loaded walk forced Hickey home. Rivera continued his hot hitting with a single up the middle that plated Calilao to make it a 5-1 game.

The Tigers struck back in the eighth with a solo homer from Montgomery, but the Gators also added an insurance run in the bottom half of the eighth on a Calilao single.

Mizzou scratched out a pair of runs in the ninth, but Trey Van Der Weide shut the door and closed out the game for his first save as a Florida Gator.

Hunter Barco tossed 6.1 innings of one-run ball while striking out five and walking three. Van Der Weide finished the last 2.2 innings.

On Deck:

Florida will travel to Jacksonville to face the Dolphins in midweek action on Tuesday. The Dolphins are 7-22 and had a weekend off. Jacksonville has lost seven of their last eight games, but did beat Florida State in that span. The Gators have played JU three times already, winning two of three.