Florida Gators Fall to Missouri Tigers in Weekend Series Opener

The No. 6 Florida Gators faced a tough loss on Saturday as they fell to the Missouri Tigers in a close 4-3 game at Taylor Stadium in Columbia. The Gators, who entered the weekend series with high expectations, struggled with wild pitching and a slow offense, dropping their overall record to 17-13 and their SEC record to 6-5.

Freshman pitcher Liam Peterson had a mixed performance on the mound, starting off with a shaky first inning that allowed two runs to score. Despite settling in and retiring 11 straight batters in the middle innings, Peterson struggled again in the sixth, giving up two more runs to the Tigers. In total, Peterson made a career-high 100 pitches and struck out nine batters, but ultimately couldn’t contain Missouri’s offense.

The Gators had their chances to come back in the game, with multiple runners reaching base in key situations. Jac Caglianone’s two-run home run in the sixth inning briefly gave Florida the lead, but the offense couldn’t capitalize on other opportunities, leaving runners stranded on base in crucial moments.

As the Gators look to avoid being swept by the Tigers, they will turn to Caglianone as their starting pitcher in the series finale on Sunday. With Missouri yet to name their starter, Florida will need a strong performance on both sides of the ball to salvage a win and bounce back from a disappointing series loss. Stay tuned for the final game at 2 p.m. on Sunday to see if the Gators can turn things around and finish the weekend on a high note.