After toppling Missouri in the series-opener on Friday, the Florida baseball team failed to carry the momentum into Game 2 on Saturday.
The No. 4 Gators (24-8, 6-5 Southeastern Conference) fell 10-1 to the Tigers (21-11, 7-4 SEC) in Columbia, Missouri.
Missouri pitcher Tanner Houck, a freshman righty, put Florida to work on Saturday.
In eight innings, Houck gave up just four hits and one run — a Josh Tobias RBI double that scored Buddy Reed in the eighth inning — while striking out six batters.
“Our guys kept coming back to the dugout saying that’s the best stuff they’ve seen all year,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said in a release. “He kept sinking the ball and did not throw a ball above the knees until the eighth inning. It was a really good start, it was about as good a start as you’re going to see from anybody in our league, let alone he’s just a freshman.”
Meanwhile, Florida’s pitching staff couldn’t bring the heat.
Starter A.J. Puk allowed nine hits and nine earned runs in just 5.1 innings of work.
The rubber game of the series is set for 2 p.m. Sunday.
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A.J. Puk pitches during Florida's 7-2 loss to Miami on Feb. 21 at McKethan Stadium.
