UF SB: Gators Advance to Super Regional Round of NCAA Tournament

Florida advances to its ninth-straight NCAA Super Regional after today’s win.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No.14-seed Florida softball program capped the NCAA Gainesville Regional with a resounding 11-0 victory Sunday afternoon over Wisconsin at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. UF advances to its ninth-straight and 14th overall NCAA Super Regional in program history with the win.
The Gators (47-16) wasted no time in making their case for another NCAA Super Regional berth as the squad struck for 10 runs in the top of the first inning against the Badgers (30-22). The massive amount of runs in the initial frame of action was the most by the program all-time during a single inning in NCAA Regional play.
Freshman Kendra Falby started the rally once again as she reached via a leadoff infield single and fifth-year graduate Hannah Adams followed suit with a single through the right side to put runners on the corners for Florida.
Skylar Wallace drove in Falby in the ensuing at-bat to plate the first run of the game on a RBI single to second base. Senior Charla Echols kept the rally going with a bunt single that loaded the bases for freshman Reagan Walsh. Walsh notched RBI five and six of the weekend with her two-RBI single and senior Cheyenne Lindsey pushed the lead out to 4-0 on her squeeze bunt back to the circle.
The scoring in the first continued as sophomore Katie Kistler drove in Walsh and Lindsey with a double to left center field, which was the game’s first extra-base hit. Florida went back to playing small ball during freshman Sam Roe’s at-bat. The Destin, Fla. native put down a bunt single to score Kistler from third, who stole the bag earlier in the at-bat.
As the lineup turned back over to Falby and the top of the order with a 7-0 lead in hand, the Gators struck for three more runs. Falby and Adams produced back-to-back hits and Wallace scored Roe on a fielder’s choice, while Echols ripped a two-RBI single up the middle.
From there pitchers Lexie Delbrey (15-3) and Natalie Lugo limited the Badgers offense to just three hits and one walk for the run-rule victory. Delbrey, a Bainbridge, Ga. native, hurled four shutout innings, while Lugo pitched a perfect top of the fifth to close out the game.
Florida posted the final run of the game to extend the lead out to 11-0 in the top of the fifth when Wallace scored Falby for the third time on a groundout to shortstop.
The Gators now wait to find out their Super Regional opponent as they will face the winner between No.3-seed Virginia Tech and Kentucky.
Notables:

* The Gators are now 5-1 all-time versus Wisconsin and 50-19 all-time in NCAA Regional play 45-7 under head coach Tim Walton.
* Overall, the program is 97-47 in the NCAA Tournament.
* UF has outscored opponents 309 to 37 in NCAA Regional action since the current tournament format was adopted in 2005.
* In addition, the program has also produced 32 shutouts during that span.
* Florida’s 10 runs scored in the first inning against the Badgers are the most runs scored in an inning in NCAA Regional play for the Orange & Blue in program history.
* It eclipses the previous record of nine runs scored in 2016 against Alabama State in the third inning of play.
* UF’s 13 hits in today’s game against Wisconsin are the third consecutive game of this year’s regional with 10 or more hits.
* Overall, it’s the fifth consecutive NCAA Regional game with 10 or more hits.
* May 22, 2021 vs. South Alabama – 11 Hits
* May 23, 2021 vs. South Florida – 10 Hits
* May 20, 2022 vs. Canisius – 10 Hits
* May 21, 2022 vs. Georgia Tech – 10 Hits
* May 22, 2022 vs. Wisconsin – 13 Hits
* The Gators stole three bases in today’s game, which ties the program’s single-season record of 129 that was originally set in 2007 when the team was 129-for-152.
* Florida pitchers also held opponents to two runs scored through 17 innings of play.
* Overall, Florida batted .461, 35-for-76, in the NCAA Gainesville with 28 runs scored, 27 RBI, three doubles, one triple and two home runs.
* Hannah Adams tied her career-high in hits going 4-for-4 at the plate with her 11th double of the season.
* Freshman Kendra Falby tied her career-high with three runs scored in today’s today. She has scored three runs five times this season.