WHAT HAPPENED: Florida's
Wil Dalton lined a two-out double off the wall in the eighth inning to bring home two runs in the Gators' 3-1 win over Missouri on Friday night at McKethan Stadium.
It was a pitcher's duel through seven and a half innings until the Gators broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the eight.
Florida starter
Brady Singer went 7.0 innings with just one hit allowed while Missouri's TJ Sikkema nearly matched him with 7.1 innings and two runs allowed.
Freshman
Jordan Butler picked up the win with a scoreless eighth inning and closer
Michael Byrne earned his ninth save of the year.
After back-to-back walks to start the game, Missouri took a 1-0 lead without a base hit -- sacrificing the runners over and getting a RBI groundout to bring home a run.
The Gators answered in the bottom of the first with a solo home run from
Nelson Maldonado, his fifth of the season.
Following the first inning, both starters settled into a pitchers' duel until the Gators broke through in the eighth inning.
Brady Smith led off with a single and
Deacon Liput laid down a sacrifice bunt to move him to second before Missouri went to the bullpen.
After an intentional walk to
Jonathan India -- who extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a single in the sixth -- Dalton roped a 1-2 pitch off the wall in left field to bring in the winning run.
Byrne finished off the Tigers with a 10-pitch ninth inning.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Brady Singer – Singer pitched 7.0 innings with just one hit allowed. The run he surrendered in the first inning came after he walked two batters and the Tigers scored without recording a hit. In two career starts against Missouri, Singer has combined for 16.0 innings with just four hits and two runs allowed.
STANDOUT STAT: 36 – With a 30-6 record, the 2018 Gators are the second-fastest team in school history to reach 30 wins. The 2016 team started 30-5.
STANDOUT STAT (pt. 2): 6,214 – Friday's attendance of 6,214 was the second-largest in program history at McKethan Stadium. The most ever came in 2016 against Mississippi State (6,244).
FROM THE COACH: Head coach Kevin O'Sullivan tonight's game: "It was just an unbelievable game. 6200 people here, second largest crowd ever, it was a really good crowd. It was a typical Friday night game in our league with two really good starters.
Brady struggled the first couple innings but for him to go seven innings really saved our bullpen, especially with a doubleheader tomorrow.
On Wil Dalton: "Yeah, I think sometimes he can be a little bit hard on himself … he had the big hit against Tennessee late, we were down to our last out and he hit the ball off the right field wall and had a really good at bat there. There's a reason why we moved him to the middle of the order instead of the leadoff spot, so he'd have those opportunities to drive runs in."
UP NEXT: Florida and Missouri will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 4 p.m. at McKethan Stadium. The second game of the doubleheader will begin approximately 45 minutes following the conclusion of game one.
