Behind a complete game on the mound from sophomore Logan Shore and timely hitting, the No. 8 Florida baseball team defeated Mississippi State 6-3 on Friday in Starkville, Mississippi.
Outside of a three-hit, three run fourth inning, Shore limited the Bulldogs (22-17, 6-10 Southeastern Conference) to just three hits while striking out six of the 32 batters he faced. He did not allow a walk and 72 of his 101 pitches went for strikes. It was his second complete game of the year.
“From the fifth through the ninth was the best Logan has looked all year,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said in a release. “I thought the fastball came out his hand good, his breaking ball was sharper and his change-up was down. To be honest with you, he’s thrown some good games for us but as far as his crispness and getting after hitters and locating, I’m really pleased with how he looked in the second half of the game. I can’t wait to get him out there again next Friday night and build off of this.”
Florida (29-10, 10-6 SEC) opened the night with a four-run first inning, highlighted by a Josh Tobias three-RBI triple.
“It gave us a lot of momentum,” O’Sullivan said.
Tobias finished the night 2-for-4 with four RBIs and freshman Dalton Guthrie went 3-for-4 and scored twice.
Game 2 of the series is Saturday at 3 p.m. Sophomore Dane Dunning will start on the mound for the Gators.
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126.
UF's Logan Shore pitches during Florida's 14-3 win against the South Carolina Gamecocks on April 10, 2015 at McKethan Stadium.
