Missouri snaps 16-game losing streak to Gators with 5-3 win
After honoring their seniors before the game the Missouri Tigers went out and won a ball game for them. A night after the Florida Gators scored 13, the Tigers’ pitcher were able to stymie the UF offense, holding them to three runs on eight hits.
The 5-3 loss snapped a 16-game winning streak Florida had over Missouri dating back to April 5, 2015.
The Gators (31-19, 12-14 SEC) struck first. Wyatt Langford singled to start the game. Sterlin Thompson followed with a walk. BT Riopelle drove Langford in with a single. Riopelle would drive in all three runs for the Gators Saturday afternoon. Florida extended its lead to 2-0 in the third. Thompson doubled with one out and Riopelle traded places with him, smacking a double of his own.
Neely runs into trouble
The freshman who pitched his way into a weekend starter role looked good through three shutout innings. Neely would hit a wall in the fourth. With Torin Montgomery on first base via a leadoff single, Mike Coletta produced an RBI double down the right-field line to cut the lead in half. The Gators would get that run back in the top of the fifth but Mizzou fired right back.
Luke Mann and Trevor Austin started the inning off with singles and Mongtomery cleared the bases with a 3-run blast to left-center.
“He was throwing behind a lot today. He didn’t have his breaking ball. It kind of came and went and when he did throw it for a strike it was up in the zone,” Kevin O’Sullivan said of Neely. “He did battle. They ran into the three run homer there in the fifth and that was obviously the difference.”
Gators and Tigers in a Sunday rubber match
The series will be decided on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 pm. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+. Nick Pogue will start for the Gators. Missouri hasn’t announced a starting pitcher for the finale.
“We’ll have to put this behind us and get ready to play tomorrow. We look forward to getting Nick Pogue back out there,” O’Sullivan said. “Our bullpen should be fresh. Nobody was extended. We’ll get after it tomorrow.”
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