The Gators claimed the series 2-1 with wins Friday night and Saturday afternoon for their third SEC series victory of the year.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The 15th-ranked Florida softball team dropped its series finale, 8-2, to No. 12 Georgia in front of the third largest crowd at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. The 2,523 fans in attendance today also helped the program achieve a program record attendance for a single series as a total of 7,168 filed through gates for the three sold out games.
Despite the loss, the Gators (31-11, 8-7 SEC) still captured the series, 2-1, over the Bulldogs (33-10, 12-5 SEC), which is the program’s third Southeastern Conference series victory of the year.
However, after falling in the first two, Georgia bounced back and struck nearly immediately in the top of the 1st inning to take a 1-0 lead. Sara Mosley lifted a 1-0 offering off of starting pitcher Elizabeth Hightower (14-6) that gave UGA a 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs struck for three more runs to go ahead 4-0 with an RBI single in the 2nd inning and a two-run home run to center in the top of the 3rd inning.
The Gators rallied in the bottom of the 5th inning to cut down the Bulldogs lead to 4-2. UF loaded the bases via a trio of walks issued to Sarah Longley, Skylar Wallace and Charla Echols from UGA starter Madison Kerpics (13-5), before she was lifted for reliever Shelby Walters (3 SV).
With two outs and the bases loaded, Reagan Walsh ripped her second hit of the game to right field off Walters to score Longley and Wallace.
Georgia responded with four unanswered runs to close out to the game and extend their lead out to 8-2. Marisa Miller notched an RBI single, which was followed by a two-RBI double by Ellie Armistead in the 6th inning and a solo home run by Jayda Kearney in the 7th inning.
The Gators return to action at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium with a doubleheader against USF this upcoming Wednesday, April 19, at 6 p.m. The first game is scheduled to air on ESPNU, while the second game will commence 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.
Notables:
* Florida posted a series attendance record of 7,168 after selling out all three games of an SEC series for the first time ever. The 2,523 fans in attendance for the series finale rank third all-time in KSP Stadium history.
* Katie Seashole Pressly Series Attendance Top 8
* Georgia – 2023 – 7,168 – Regular Season
* Tennessee – 2019 – 7,000 – Post Season
* Auburn – 2023 – 6,466 – Regular Season
* Alabama – 2017 – 6,299 – Post Season
* Alabama – 2022 – 6,047 – Regular Season
* Auburn – 2020 – 5,911 – Regular Season
* Texas A&M – 2018 – 5,677 – Post Season
* Tennessee – 2019 – 5,523 – Regular Season
* Reagan Walsh notched her eighth multi-hit game going 2-for-3 and her eighth multi-RBI game of the year.
* Skylar Wallace extended her hitting streak out to seven games along with her reached base safely streak. Wallace also tied her career-high with three walks drawn today.
* Wallace has reached base safely in 37 of the 38 games played this year and has produced at least one hit in 18 of the last 20 games played.
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