Tonight’s walk-off win is the first of the season for Florida.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The 15th-ranked Florida softball team walked-off No. 19 Auburn for a 3-2 (8 inning) victory to open the series Thursday evening at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
The Gators (27-9, 5-5 SEC) grinded out their first series opening win of the season behind a gutsy pitching performance from Elizabeth Hightower and reliever Rylee Trlicek (4-3). Hightower battled the Tigers (28-11, 6-4 SEC) for seven-complete innings and held AU to just one earned run on four hits, while Trlicek closed out the final inning in the top of the 8th inning with one hit and a strikeout.
The duo out dueled Auburn ace Maddie Penta (16-5) and reliever Shelby Lowe. Penta gave up three runs, two earned, with three walks and 12 strikeouts. She gave way to Lowe in the bottom of the 8th inning after a five-pitch walk to Skylar Wallace and a 12-pitch battle with Kendra Falby that also resulted in walk that put runners on first and second base.
Penta threw her 133rd pitch of the night to Charla Echols, which was a ball, before being lifted for Lowe. Lowe’s first offering went into the dirt for a wild pitch that allowed both Wallace and Falby to advance into scoring position. With the count now 2-0 to Echols, the Tigers opted to intentionally walk the 2021 NFCA All-American and loaded the bases for Reagan Walsh with no outs.
Walsh, who had made solid contact in her appearances throughout the game, proceeded to work a 2-1 count before she belted a line drive to the center field wall for the Gators first walk-off victory of the season.
Earlier in the game, Wallace gave Florida a 1-0 lead via her SEC leading seventh triple of the year on a shot to the wall down the left field line. Wallace’s two-out shot scored Sarah Longley from first base after she reached via a hit-by-pitch earlier in the frame.
Kendra Falby put the pressure on Auburn’s defense that plated Wallace from third that extended the lead out to 2-0 on a ground ball that was misplayed by the Tigers’ shortstop.
Auburn battled back for an unearned run in the top of the 5th inning that closed down the lead to 2-1 and eventually tied the game, 2-2, with two outs in the bottom of the 7th inning via a home run to left field.
The Gators and the Tigers return to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium tomorrow at 6 p.m. for game two of the series which will be streamed via SEC Network+.
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