Houck, Lavy Lead Tigers Past No. 4 Gators

Saturday, April 4

Columbia, Mo.

2:05 PM

University of Missouri

21-11, 7-4

Florida

24-8, 6-5

Florida

Mizzou

4/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Freshman pitcher Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) spun a gem on the mound for the home squad, striking out six, walking none and allowing only four hits in an eight-inning effort, carrying Mizzou (21-11, 7-4) to a 10-1 win over No. 4 Florida (24-8, 6-5) on Saturday afternoon (April 4) at Taylor Stadium. Sophomore first baseman Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) clubbed two home runs, good for four RBI, in the contest. Mizzou now has two wins over top-five teams this season and four against top-10 teams.

Freshman catcher Brock Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) also hit a home run, a solo shot to left field to open the game's scoring. Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) also had a productive day offensively, scoring two runs and claiming a RBI. Brett Peel (St. Charles, Mo.) joined Harris and Lavy as Tigers to score two runs as he extended his on-base streak to 29 games. But it was all about Houck as Mizzou improved to 10-1 on Saturdays this season. He retired 21 of the first 22 batters that he faced and took a one-hitter into the eighth inning.

Mizzou jumped on top for the second straight game, hitting two home runs in a three-batter span. Bond got the action started with a bomb to left, a solo shot, and Lavy followed with his second career home run to also bring in Harris and give the Tigers a 3-0 lead through two innings. Lester stroked a two-RBI double in the third, scoring Peel and Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) to make it 5-0. A groundout from Harris then brought Lester in, putting the home squad up by six runs through three frames.

Houck allowed his first hit of the contest in the fourth inning, a one-out double to Richie Martin, though he was able to keep the runner stranded to end the inning. Lavy added on to the Mizzou lead in the sixth, a two-run blast that once again brought home Harris to push the Mizzou lead to 8-0. Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) added on with a two-out, two-RBI single in the inning to give the home team a 10-run edge.

The freshman hurler for Mizzou continued to churn along with a 1-2-3 seventh, his sixth perfect frame of the game to that point. The Gators got to Houck in the eighth, scoring a run on three hits to end Houck's shutout bid. Austin Tribby (Springfield, Mo.) tossed a scoreless ninth to seal the win for the Tigers.

The series finale against Florida will be Sunday (April 5) at 1:05 p.m. For all the latest on Mizzou baseball, follow the team on Twitter (@MizzouBaseball) or check in to MUTigers.com.