A Gainesville Great: The Gator Softball Team

Photo by Courtney Culbreath
The Florida softball team (25-3, 5-2 SEC) extended their all-time series lead over the Aggies (29-5, 3-1 SEC) 14-4 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium Saturday evening. The Gators opened the three-game series with a 6-1 lead.

In the Circle

Kelly Barnhill (13-1) dealt 12 strikeouts, which was a season-high for the Aggies. It's the seventh time Barnhill registered 10 or more strikeouts in a game. Head coach Tim Walton said it's tough for any team to swing off her.
"Give her a lot of credit, I thought Kelly did a really good job of locating and getting ahead in the count today,” Walton said.
Eventually, Barnhill gave up her first hit, but it wasn't until the fifth inning. Texas A&M's Payton McBride singled to left to give the Aggies the first hit of the game. Barnhill allowed just one more hit. Sarah Hudek's solo home run put the Aggies on the board in the top of the seventh. 
Kelly said in that moment, she wasn't thinking about it.

At Bat

The Gators were on the board first, scoring four runs in the first inning. It was the 20th time in 28 games this season where Florida scored in the first inning. First, a two-RBI single for freshman Jordan Matthews drove in Amanda Lorenz and Nicole DeWitt. Lorenz and DeWitt hit back-to-back singles to reach base. Janell Wheaton extended the lead out to 4-0 with a two-run RBI which plated Matthews. It was Wheaton's second home run of the season.

Florida had runners on first and second when Aleshia Ocasio ripped the ball to first baseman Tori Vidales. Vidales and Kristen Cuyos turned a triple play in the third inning against the Gators.
Pinch hitter Jaimie Hoover ripped a double to the gap in right center to score Hannah Adams. The very next batter brought in the Gator's sixth and final run. Lorenz scored Hoover on an RBI single to left field in the bottom of the fourth. Lastly, the Gators maintained the 6-0 lead until the seventh inning, when the Aggies scored their lone run. 

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