Starter [autotag]Nick Pogue[/autotag], first baseman [autotag]Khris Armstrong[/autotag] and shortstop [autotag]Joshua Rivera[/autotag] lifted Florida baseball to a 4-3 game and series victory over the Missouri Tigers on Sunday in Columbia, Missouri. Pogue quieted the Tigers’ offense for 6 2/3 innings while only allowing five hits and three earned runs. Armstrong went 3-for-4 with two RBIs while Rivera finished 1-for-4 with a two-run home run.
After three scoreless innings, Missouri struck first in the bottom of the fourth via back-to-back jacks from third baseman Luke Mann and left fielder Trevor Austin.
The Gators responded quickly in the top of the fifth via Rivera’s two-run blast to left field. They then grabbed the lead 4-2 in the next inning when Armstrong singled with the bases loaded, driving in designated hitter [autotag]Jac Cagilanone[/autotag] and second baseman [autotag]Sterlin Thompson[/autotag].
The Tigers earned a run back in the bottom of the seventh when their right fielder Ross Lovich singled with runners on first and second, which also signaled the end of Pogue’s outing. Head coach [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] called on reliever [autotag]Blake Purnell[/autotag] who got the final out of the inning to end the threat.
Florida would hang on in the eighth and ninth innings to secure the 4-3 victory and grab the last contest of the weekend for the series win.
The Gators head into the final week of their regular season and are back in action on Tuesday at Condron Ballpark versus No. 21 Florida State.
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