Peterson Sets Career-High in Upset Over No. 5 Arkansas

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It was arguably the best start of Liam Peterson’s career with the Florida Gators Friday night in Game One against Arkansas at Condron Family Ballpark.

Florida’s ace went six innings against the Razorbacks, giving up three earned runs, but, more importantly, striking out a career-high 13 batters and throwing a career-high 114 pitches as the Gators upset Arkansas, 6-4.

“Yeah, it was really fun,” Peterson said after the win. “They got pitching and hitting. They got a lot of good guys. So being able to do that, and on top of that, get a win.”

Despite how obvious it was for the spectators and stat trackers, though, Peterson didn't keep track of where he was throughout the game in strikeouts.

“I wasn't paying a lot of attention to it,” Peterson said when asked if he knew he set a new career-high in strikeouts. “Obviously, we have like the K's on the berm, so I had a good idea, but I couldn't exactly count them all up. I knew I was striking them out and getting them out towards the third and the fourth, but I never really like came in on a number.”

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the righty, though. He actually started his time on the mound by giving up home runs in back-to-back innings, which put his team down 2-0 early and probably let some worry creep into the fans minds.

Luckily for himself and his team, his attitude and mentality were in the right place.

“I don't think either one was a strike,” Peterson said. “So, it's kind of something I just kind of tell myself, ‘hey, you know, I made a good pitch there. You just made a good swing.’ It's going to happen, it’s baseball.”

This mentality led to him striking out recording 11 strikeouts in the first 12 outs of the game and four straight shutout innings after the second and through the end of the sixth.

With his strong performance toeing the rubber in these six innings, he was also rewarded with a chance to continue his reign in the seventh. Unfortunately, he issued a walk to the leadoff batter and that ended his night.

“I said, just let me go out there until anything happens,” Peterson said to his head coach, “unfortunately, walk the lead off, too. So, not very happy about that.”

Although Gators head coach Kevin O’Sullivan believes he should take the blame for that.

“Yeah, the second walk is probably my fault,” O’Sullivan said. “Probably shouldn’t have run him back out there.”

Still, even with that final walk, O’Sullivan described his start against the Razorbacks as “special.”

“He was special tonight,” he said. “He deserves all the credit, because he pitched extremely well.”

The Gators pitching staff will need to try their best to emulate his time pitching if they want to win the series and eventually clinch a spot in the postseason, which has become realistic after a recent stretch of wins.

Florida will look to take the series on Saturday beginning at 3:30 p.m.

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