Florida No. 8 splits doubleheader with Missouri to open SEC action

Next game:

Missouri

03/19/2023 | 1:00 p.m.

March 19 (Sunday) / 1 p.m.

Missouri

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The eighth-ranked Florida softball team opened Southeastern Conference play with a double-split Friday against Missouri at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. UF fell 3-7 in the first game of the day, but bounced back to even the series with a 4-3 win in Game 2.

The Gators (21-5, 1-1 SEC) immediately found themselves in a battle with the Tigers (19-10, 1-4 SEC) in Game 1 of the series. Missouri opened the game in the top of the first inning with a single by Jenna Laird, which was quickly followed by a two-run home run by Alex Honnold to give UM a 2-0 lead.

Skylar Wallace and the Orange & Blue responded in the bottom of the 3rd inning to tie the game, 2-2, when she blasted her team-leading seventh homer of the year. Kendra Falby set the table for Wallace in the previous at bat with a single down the left side.

Second right-hander Lexie Delbrey (4-2) held the Tigers offense scoreless in the 4th inning, but MU broke the tie 2-2 in the 5th inning with a three-run home run by Honnold to go from the front 5-2. Missouri then tacked on two more runs via a solo home run in the 6th inning and a SAC steal to right center in the 7th inning against reliever Samantha Bender.

In game two of the doubleheader, Missouri hit for an unearned run in the top of the 1st inning, but Florida regrouped and rebounded to tie the game in the bottom of the 3rd inning. With the bases loaded, Egan sent a shot to second base which was then thrown out to tag Kendra Falby from third base.

Sophomore Regan Walsh quickly broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Gators a 3-1 lead at the next bat when she ripped a two RBI single to center field from Tigers starter Laurin Krings (7-5 ).

The Falby and Wallace tandem scored another point for the Orange and the Blue at the end of the 4th inning to go up 4-1. Falby singled down the left field line with two outs and Wallace produced his fifth triple of the year to score the Falby from first base.

Missouri responded in the top of the 5th inning to cut Florida’s lead to 4-3 via a Honnold RBI single down the left side and a SAC fly by Julia Crenshaw.

Right-hander Elizabeth Hightower (10-2) took the win in the circle and left-hander Rylee Trlicek earned her first save of the season after closing out the last three innings.

Defensively, the Gators tied the program single-game record with three double plays in the Game 2 win.

The Gators and Tigers are scheduled to close the series on Sunday, March 19 at 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.

Notable:

Florida tied the program’s single-game record for double plays in Game 2. The feat was only achieved two other times: On February 28, 2020 – against Louisiana on March 20, 2005 – at Arkansas, Charla Echols extended her hitting streak to 11 games with 1 for 3 in the first game and 1 for -4 in the second game. The Newnan, Georgia native has also reached base safely in the last 13 games. Skylar Wallace hit the seventh home run in Game 1 and triple number five in Game 2. Wallace has reached base safely in his last 22 games played and is on a four-game winning streak. The Woodstock, Georgia native also stole her 13th and 14th bases of the season. In Game 2, Kendra Falby went 2-for-4 with two runs scored for her team-leading 11th multi-hit game of the year. The Odessa, Florida native is also on a five-game winning streak. FOLLOW THE GATORS
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