Skylar Wallace delivered the deciding hit that gave the Gators a lead in the 7th inning.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – No. 5 Florida softball defeated Texas A&M, 3-2, in comeback fashion to open the series with a win Friday afternoon at Davis Diamond. It’s the 10th come-from-behind victory of the season for the program this season.
The Gators (24-2, 3-1 SEC) battles with the Aggies (16-9, 0-4 SEC) the entire game and utilized a 6th and 7th inning rally to break through and win the game.
Trailing 2-0 to Texas A&M in the 6th inning, Skylar Wallace and Charla Echols drew back-to-back one out walks to set the table for freshman Reagan Walsh. Walsh worked a 2-2 count off Aggies starter Emily Kennedy and drilled it off the right field wall to plate Wallace and close the Aggies lead down to 2-1.
The Orange & Blue continued to fight with only three outs remaining in the top of the 7th inning of play and produced four hits in the frame. The rally started with Emily Wilkie’s infield single, but her pinch-runner was erased on Katie Kistler’s fielder’s choice. Nonetheless that hit allowed the Gators to turn the lineup over to the top of the order.
Freshman Kendra Falby quickly followed up with a single through the right side of the Aggies infield and fifth year senior Hannah Adams loaded the bases with her 11th bunt single of the season.
Wallace put the Gators on top with her two-RBI single up the single that scored the speedsters Kistler and Falby.
In the circle, senior Elizabeth Hightower hurled her second complete-game of the season and held the Aggies to just two runs, one earned, on three hits and three walks. The Monticello, Fla. native also posted a season-high eight strikeouts in the effort.
Florida and Texas A&M return to action Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on SEC Network +.
FOLLOW THE GATORS
FloridaGators.com<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.floridagators.com_softball_&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=5XPeQNCstDIlAc8EpA4OySBoLW5iYTi3j4hpaHzHMrfZK0Nyfrwc14z2a8ViPEDQ&s=8pmtqBEcnJionCpWUvgVrrauBbVFB2s1LAzc4GrgA3Y&e= >
Florida Softball on Twitter<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__twitter.com_GatorsSB&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=5XPeQNCstDIlAc8EpA4OySBoLW5iYTi3j4hpaHzHMrfZK0Nyfrwc14z2a8ViPEDQ&s=BA6OlLiQST9AWDkvfStlZPGaEXCdPaOgyiKTW_vp9hY&e= >
Head Coach Tim Walton on Twitter<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__twitter.com_-5FTimWalton&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=5XPeQNCstDIlAc8EpA4OySBoLW5iYTi3j4hpaHzHMrfZK0Nyfrwc14z2a8ViPEDQ&s=HQeqRdNngP05q39IHp6I-u_SToyIe9MGlfMVKck_bco&e= >
Florida Softball on Facebook<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.facebook.com_GatorsSB&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=5XPeQNCstDIlAc8EpA4OySBoLW5iYTi3j4hpaHzHMrfZK0Nyfrwc14z2a8ViPEDQ&s=OzywVAAC9Oc4ebyl1dNDw40_ZI1FL42oJRitgkfvRyE&e= >
