Gators Softball sweeps doubleheader

The fourth-ranked Florida softball team finished The Knights Classic with a pair of victories over James Madison and host UCF Sunday in Orlando. Respectively, the Gators won 6-4 and 12-11 in the doubleheader.

UF’s offense battled it out in both victories as the team combined for 21 hits through 14.0 innings.

Now, the Gators remain undefeated with a record of 16-0.

Gators WIN!! #GoGators

Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/Yc4x66gDaM

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) February 28, 2022

Notable Players

Sunday, Florida competed with the Dukes (3-5) and the Knights (10-6) in an all-day event at the ballpark.

The Gators batted 21-of-61 through the two games. Emphatically, they combined for 16 RBI through the pair of games against JMU and UCF Knights.

Charla Echols expanded her hit streak to 12 games, making her streak a career long. Also, she recorded three RBI against the Dukes and four against the Knights, which brings her multi-RBI game total to seven this season.

Hannah Adams went 3-for-4 against JMU which ties her season-high for hits in a game this year. Surely, her back-to-back home runs is the first time she’s hit two in a game since March 10, 2020.

Freshman Kendra Falby also extended her reached base streak out to all 16 games after going 1-for-3 at the plate against JMU and 2-for-3 against UCF. Certainly, she leads the team with 10 multi-hit games on the year.

https://twitter.com/GatorsSB/status/1498073338006151172

Games against the Knights

The No. 4 Gators defeated the Knights to win 12-11 in seven innings. The 23 total runs scored by the two teams set a record for the highest run total in a single contest between these two. This was the first time since 2016, Florida had won an on-road game against UCF.

Florida started the night with an early lead in the top of the 2nd inning by a seven-run top that gave the Gators a 7-2 lead.

The inning started out with Freshman Kendra Falby when she hit her second career home run. Soon after, Echols hit a two-run home run that went well over the right field wall. Longley then hit a two RBI triple down the right field line.

UCF did not back down. They chipped away at UF’s lead with two runs in the 2nd and three in the 3rd to tie the game 7-7.

In the fourth inning, Adams broke the tie to put the Gators ahead 8-7 after she forced the Knights to commit a throwing error while she was at third base.

The Knights then responded to take the lead,  10-8, with a three-run frame, in the bottom on the fourth.

The Gators’ tied the game 10-10 with two runs in the 5th. Adams hit a RBI single and Echols drew a bases load walk.

It was not until the 6th inning, Florida took the lead for good. Falby hit a SAC fly and Echols has another bases loaded walk which put the Gators up 12-10.

UCF had one more chance to win the game in the bottom of the 6th.

The Knights hit a double to the right on the field, in which, Kistler, Adams and Echols throw out the tying run at third base. UCF scored their last run of the game.

Florida’s putout erased the tying run from the bases, which allowed Lugo to close out the game and win.

B6 | UCF adds a run but @katie_kistler07 relays to @hmadamss11 and she guns down the tying run at third base‼️

Gators 12 | Knights 11 pic.twitter.com/ujzkUCeWBN

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) February 28, 2022

What to Expect

The Gators play Southern Mississippi Wednesday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.