Florida Gators

Postgame Video
Highlights
GatorVision's Kelly Price one-on-one with Deacon Liput
 
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Junior left-hander A.J. Puk registered a season-high 11 strikeouts over seven shutout innings as No. 1 Florida secured its SEC opening series with a 6-2 win over Missouri on Saturday night at McKethan Stadium. In his longest start of the season, Puk (1-1) surrendered three hits and was one strikeout shy of his career high to lift the Gators (20-1/2-0 SEC) to their 14th straight victory and 22nd consecutive home win.
 
Freshman Deacon Liput (second inning), junior Peter Alonso (sixth inning) and sophomore Mike Rivera (eighth inning) each homered for Florida, while freshman Jonathan India (2-for-3) drove in a pair of runs versus the Tigers (14-8/0-2 SEC). Last night's winner, junior Shaun Anderson, picked up his second save of the year by retiring all four batters that he faced.
 
The Gators took a 2-0 lead in the second inning against sophomore Tanner Houck (2-2) on a leadoff homer by Liput (2-for-4) and a two-out RBI single by India. Liput's first career homer to right center field bounced off the back of the visiting bullpen wall and onto the street. Rivera (2-for-3) followed with a double into left center and moved to third on a grounder by sophomore Jeremy Vasquez. With two down, India drove in Rivera with an infield single up the third-base line but was thrown out after rounding first base too wide.
 
Vasquez gave Florida a 3-0 advantage in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly that brought home Alonso (2-for-4). Alonso had raised his hitting streak to six games with a leadoff infield single and Liput had a base-hit into right field before a sacrifice bunt by Rivera gave the hosts runners on the corners. Vasquez lofted a ball into center field that resulted in his second sac fly of the year.
 
The Tigers put the first two runners aboard in the sixth on a single into right field by freshman Ian Nelson and a walk to freshman Connor Brumfield. Puk escaped the jam by having junior Ryan Howard pop-up to Alonso in foul territory, junior Jake Ring fly (2-for-4) out to left and sophomore Trey Harris fly out to center.
 
Alonso boosted the Gators' margin to 4-0 in the bottom of the frame with his fourth homer of the year to left field. He leads the Orange and Blue with 27 RBI and is one homer shy of matching last year's total.
 
Vasquez started UF's seventh with a single into right field and was replaced by junior pinch runner Ryan Larson. Freshman Nelson Maldonado drew a walk, ending the night for Houck (6.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R). India greeted freshman reliever Graham Ruopp with a single through the left side that scored Larson.
 
Freshman Jackson Kowar replaced Puk (7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R) prior to the eighth and issued back-to-back walks, bringing in sophomore Nick Horvath. The southpaw struck out Brumfield and a fielder's choice by Howard left the Tigers with runners on first and third with two down. Ring plated his teammates with a double into left center and Anderson was summoned from the bullpen. The right-hander struck out Harris to complete the frame.
                                                      
Postgame Quotes
Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan
Opening Statement:
"I thought our approach tonight was outstanding. We needed to grind out at bats. We needed to get to their pitch count and get him (Missouri starting pitcher Tanner Houck) out of there by six (innings). We showed a lot of grit tonight against one of the top pitchers in the country. I was really, really pleased with how we battled throughout the whole game. Pitching-wise, that was the best A.J. (Puk)'s pitched since last year. I know everybody's been kind of waiting for that one start, and there it was. It could've been easy to take him out after six, but I told him that it was very important for him to go out there for the seventh. He's one of the best pitchers in the country; you need to go out there and finish the seventh. He showed a lot of grit and a lot of fight tonight. His pace was good, and his stuff was good the entire night. Obviously, Shaun Anderson at the end -- that's two games in a row he's come in and been just on point. He's been very, very good at the end of the ballgame."
 
On Deacon Liput's second-inning at-bat that resulted in his first career home run:
"He battled off of a couple really tough pitches and ran into a ball. I think it hit the back fence out there. You're kind of careful with freshmen about moving them up too much in the order, but ever since we moved him up to the fifth spot, it hasn't changed anything. He's been still swinging the bat as well as he did the beginning of the year when he was hitting seventh or eighth. It was a great at bat."
 
Junior left-hander A.J. Puk
On tonight's performance:
"I felt pretty good today. Last year, I basically threw these guys BP, and I wanted to come out today and throw the ball way better than I did last year against them."
 
Freshman second baseman Deacon Liput
On his first homer:
"It feels good to get one out of the way, but personally it's not really me. It's obviously good to get one, but I can't really try to do that too often. I can't really say to expect that."
 
Freshman third baseman Jonathan India
On what he's done during his five-game hitting streak:
"I'm just staying relaxed up there. Earlier in the year, I was taking too many big swings and pulling my head. Now, I'm staying on the ball and focusing on a ground ball up the middle or hitting it hard somewhere to get it through a hole. It's been working so far so I'm happy with that."
 
Postgame Notes

• Florida avenged last season's series defeat to Missouri and improved to 5-0 against the Tigers at McKethan Stadium.
• The Gators' winning streak of 14 games matches the second-longest in school history. The record of 18 straight wins came during the 2012 season.
• UF's starters improved to 13-1 with a 2.13 ERA, with 146 strikeouts in 114.1 innings and a .193 average against.
• A.J. Puk notched 11 strikeouts, his previous high this year was six against FGCU on Feb. 20. The lefty's career high of 12 came at Vanderbilt on May 8, 2015.
• The Gators' pitching staff picked up double-digit strikeouts for the 15th time this season, the fourth in a row
• Four UF players turned in multi-hit efforts: Peter Alonso, Jonathan India, Deacon Liput and Mike Rivera.
• The four-five-six hitters in the lineup provided the bulk of the Gators' offense, going 6-for-12 with a home run apiece and five runs scored
• Missouri's Tanner Houck had not allowed any home runs this year entering the game. Deacon Liput had his first career homer in the second and Peter Alonso connected in the sixth.
• Buddy Reed was caught stealing in the third for the first time this season on his ninth attempt.

 
Up Next
The Gators wrap up their series with the Tigers tomorrow at 1 p.m., with sophomore right-hander Alex Faedo (4-0, 1.42) opposing senior left-hander Austin Tribby (2-1, 3.16). Jeff Cardozo and Steve Russell have the call on the Gator IMG Sports Network and the game will be streamed live on SEC Network+ through the Watch ESPN app.
 
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