The nation’s top-ranked scoring offense scored 30 combined runs in the pair of five-inning run-rule victories today.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The third-ranked Florida softball team scorched Central Michigan, 15-1 (5 innings), and Delaware State, 15-0 (5 innings), during the final day of the T-Mobile Tournament held at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. UF’s offense combined for 25 total hits, which included six doubles, three triples and four home runs.
The Gators’ (10-0) pair of five-inning run-rule victories over the Chippewas (2-2) and Hornets (2-4) boosted the season total of run-rule victories to eight on the year. The mark stands as the most five-inning run-rule victories to start the season in program history.
In the game against Central Michigan, Florida’s offense hit its’ stride in the 3rd inning of play whenever it responded with a five-run inning after the team fell behind 1-0 in the top half of the frame. Kendra Falby provided the spark with a leadoff single to left field and promptly stole second before teammate Skylar Wallace blasted a two-run home run to center field in the following at-bat to give the Gators the lead.
Charla Echols followed with a single to right and Reagan Walsh knocked a base hit through the right side before Sarah Longley launched a three-run home run over the center field wall that gave Florida a commanding 5-1 lead.
UF’s offense surged more in the bottom of the 4th inning with 10 more runs to extend its’ lead to 15-1 over the Chippewas. The frame was highlighted by five extra base hits which included a trio of triples from Katie Kistler, Wallace and Avery Goelz, an RBI double by Longley and Kaila Pollard’s first career home run. Also producing RBI efforts was Bryn Thomas’ two-RBI single to right field and Sam Roe’s bases loaded RBI walk.
In the circle, Rylee Trlicek (4-0) earned the complete-game victory as she held Central Michigan to just one run on three hits and two walks.
In game two of the doubleheader, Florida’s offense wasted no time in scoring as the team put up six runs in the first inning, three in the second and another six in the third to win 15-0 over Delaware State. Egan set the pace with a season-high four RBI, one shy of her career-high of five, which included her first home run as a Gator in the bottom of the 3rd inning.
The scoring began in the bottom of the 1st inning with Reagan Walsh’s three-RBI double to right center field that scored Falby, Wallace and Echols. UF went on to score three more times on Egan’s RBI single up the middle and a pair of SAC flies by Pollard and Kistler.
Goelz initiated the scoring in the 2nd inning when Goelz drove home Echols and Walsh with a single down the right field line and Egan concluded the frame with a SAC fly to center that scored Roe from third.
UF’s offense finished scoring for the evening in the 3rd inning with a two-RBI double by Echols, an RBI single by Roe, an RBI double by Gigante and the two-run home run from Egan.
Lexie Delbrey (1-0) made her first appearance of the season for the Gators in the game against Delaware State. The Bainbridge, Ga. native earned the win after three scoreless innings of work in the circle where she allowed one hit, one walk and struck out three on 30 pitches. Freshman Olivia Gigante closed out the final two innings of action with two hits and one strikeout on 23 pitches.
Florida returns to action Thursday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. (ET) against Cal State Fullerton and at 10:30 p.m. (ET) against No. 2 UCLA at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs, Calif.
Notables:
* Florida is the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense with an average of 11.8 runs per game.
* Overall, UF has scored 118 runs on the season on 101 total hits, which includes 18 doubles, five triples and 14 home runs. The program has also drawn 73 walks and has a team .570 on base percentage, which also ranked as first in the country entering the weekend.
* The Gators have recorded eight five-inning run-rule victories in their first 10 games played. No other team in program history has produced more in their first 10 games.
* UF’s pitching staff hurled its’ fourth shutout of the season with the win over Delaware State.
* Pal Egan and Kaila Pollard notched their first home runs as Gators.
* It’s the 14th home run of Egan’s career and first of Pollard’s
* Egan notched a season-high four RBI in the win over Delaware State.
* Lexie Delbrey saw her first action of the season in the circle and threw 30 pitches over three innings of work against Delaware State to earn her first win of the year.
* Rylee Trlicek hurled her fourth complete-game of her career to improve to 4-0 on the season. It’s the first complete-game since her freshman year in 2020.
* Sarah Longley hit her second career home run in the win over Central Michigan and tied her career-high in RBI with four.
* Bryn Thomas tied her career-high with two RBI against Central Michigan.
* Skylar Wallace tied her career-high with seven total bases against Central Michigan,
FOLLOW THE GATORS
FloridaGators.com<http://www.floridagators.com/softball/>
Florida Softball on Twitter<http://twitter.com/GatorsSB>
Head Coach Tim Walton on Twitter<https://twitter.com/_TimWalton>
Florida Softball on Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/GatorsSB>
