WHAT HAPPENED: Florida edged No. 22 Missouri 5-4 on Thursday night in Columbia to open the final regular-season series of the season.
 
Missouri took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on a sac fly from Chad McDaniel, but the Gators rebounded with four runs in the top of the fifth inning to take the lead.
 
Cory Acton and Jud Fabian each hit two-run home runs in the inning to give Florida a 4-1 lead. UF added another run in the sixth inning as Brady Smith scored from second on a wild pitch.
 
The Tigers mounted a comeback in the seventh inning and knocked Tommy Mace from the game. With the bases loaded, Mace walked in a run before getting the second out with a strikeout.
 
Chris Cornelius lined a ball to second base that would have ended the inning, but Jacob Young couldn't hold on as Missouri cut the Gators' lead to 5-4.
 
Jordan Butler relieved Mace and escaped the jam with a strikeout to end the inning. He retired the final seven Missouri batters of the game to pick up his first save of the season.
 
Mace finished the night with four runs allowed, two earned, in 6.2 innings and improved to 8-4 on the season.
 
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Jordan Butler – The sophomore took the mound with two runners on in a one-run game in the seventh inning. After hitting the first batter he faced, Butler retired the final seven batters of the game in order to close out the Gators' win.
 
STANDOUT STAT: 10 – Florida has won 10 games in a row against Missouri.
 
FROM THE COACH: Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan – On tonight's game: "We fought tonight. We haven't had a whole lot of success on the road in the league this year, and this was hopefully a step in the right direction in the development of some of our younger guys. Corey hit a breaking ball out for a home run and then Jud hit the home run to dead center.
 
"Tommy pitched really good. He fell apart in the [seventh], gave up three, not real pleased about the benches clearing there. But right after that we've got to keep our composure. We had Brumfield on a 1-2 count and ended up walking him. We've got to throw the ball across the plate there … All in all, we had lost those games throughout the whole year so it was good to see us come out on the winning side.
 
"What can you say about Jordan Butler. We went to the pen yesterday and had a pen session, quite frankly a heart-to-heart, about some things he needed to change in his delivery, raise his slot and change his front side a little bit. Talked about his lead leg a little bit. So it was a lot thrown at him yesterday in the pen, really gave him an ultimatum, for lack of a better term. For him to come out there tonight and do exactly what we asked him to do in the pen and make that quick of an adjustment with his delivery, it was awesome. It was good to see him have some success, because it hadn't quite gone his way this year. Certainly with the way he threw tonight it will be a step in the right direction moving forward."
 
On the resolve from this team: "It's a learning moment for these guys. We haven't played well on the road. Even when we've been a highly ranked team this has always been a tough place to play. I remember when we came up here in 2017, I think we won three one-run ballgames with a really good club. This is one of the better Missouri teams that they've had over the last few years. This team needed something good to happen and this was one we needed to pull out. It would have been deflating to lose this ballgame, and say 'Here we go again.' The same thing that's happened throughout the year. They battled and they fought. I thought we fought like heck against Tennessee, I had hoped that this team would have figured out the competitive spirit that it takes to play in this league a little sooner, but they certainly have shown some fight the last couple weekends. Tonight could have gotten away from them, but it didn't. They made some pitches, made some plays, all in all, it may only be one win in the win column, but for us and the way this season has gone, this is a big win for us and hopefully for the development of our young players."
 
UP NEXT: Florida and Missouri continue the series Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.