It’s the second complete-game no-hitter for the fifth-year graduate as her other came against Jacksonville in 2020.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The fourth-ranked Florida softball team picked up a complete-game, no-hit performance from fifth year graduate Natalie Lugo as the Gators defeated North Florida, 8-0 (5 innings), Wednesday evening at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Lugo’s no-hitter was only the second complete-game no-hitter of her career as she accomplished the feat against Jacksonville during the shortened 2020 season.
The Gators (12-0) cranked out seven hits and received a 2-for-2, five-RBI night from freshman shortstop Reagan Walsh. The Redondo Beach, Calif. native cleared the bases in the 3rd inning to give UF a 5-0 lead over UNF and drove in a run in the 1st via a bases loaded hit-by-pitch and in the 4th frame ripped an RBI double again to close the scoring.
The Ospreys (8-3) opted to walk senior Charla Echols each time in an effort to get to Walsh, but the freshmen capitalized on all three opportunities. The three walks drawn by Echols is a new career-high for the Newnan, Ga. native.
Senior Cheyenne Lindsey also contributed to the scoring efforts as she drove in Hannah Adams in the 1st inning with a SAC fly down the right field line to give UF its second run of the game and again created a scoring opportunity in the 3rd with a bunt single that put pressure on UNF’s fielders to commit a throwing error and allow Walsh to score.
Junior Sarah Longley contributed the Gators scoring with the team’s second SAC fly of the evening as she scored Lindsey on a shot to center field.
Florida’s defense was solid once again as the team turned a pair of double plays and didn’t commit an error.
The Gators return to action this Friday at 8:30 p.m. against DePaul during the first day of The Knights Classic. UF will also take on Oakland (Feb. 26), James Madison (Feb. 27) and UCF (Feb. 27) at the classic in Orlando.
Notables:
* Florida picked up its seventh shutout of the season with the five-inning, run-rule, no-hitter thrown by fifth year graduate pitcher Natalie Lugo.
* Entering this evenings game, the Gators ranked second in the nation in shutouts behind Oklahoma, who has eight on the year.
* The no-hitter for Lugo was the second complete-game no-no of her career. The West Covina, Calif. native last accomplished the feat on Feb. 19, 2020 against Jacksonville.
* Florida’s run-rule victory is the fifth on the season that either ended in the 5th or 6th innings and the fifth over the last eight games.
* As a program, the Gators have thrown 31 complete-game no-hitters in program history and 25 have come during the tenure of head coach Tim Walton. This is also the fifth complete-game no-hitter under pitching coach Mike Bosch.
* Reagan Walsh drove in five runs in tonight’s win, which is one run shy of the six RBI game she had just last week at Jacksonville.
* The Redondo Beach, Calif. native is the only Gator so far this season to have individual games with five or more RBI.
* Florida stole four bases tonight as Kendra Falby (12), Skylar Wallace (9), Hannah Adams (5) and Cheyenne Lindsey (2) each stole a base tonight.
* Florida is 29-for-32 on stolen bases this season and the program has stolen four bases in each of the last three games.
* Falby entered tonight’s game ranked fourth in the nation in stolen bases overall and first among her freshmen peers.
* Charla Echols went 0-for-0 with a career-high three walks in tonight’s win. The Ospreys elected to pitch around Echols the entire game in order to get to Walsh.
* Falby has now reached base safely in all 12 games this season, while Echols has reached safely over the last 10 and Walsh the last nine games.
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