Florida improved to 4-0 all-time against Oakland after tonight’s win.
ORLANDO – The fourth-ranked Florida softball team dispatched Oakland, 6-1, Saturday evening on day two of The Knights Classic held at the UCF Softball Complex.
The Gators (14-0) fell behind early to the Golden Grizzlies (2-1) as Madison Jones sent the first pitch offered from fifth year graduate Natalie Lugo (4-0) over the center field wall, but that was it as Lugo proceeded to shut down their offense for the next five innings.
The West Covina, Calif. native didn’t allow a single hit for the rest of the game and struck out a season-high eight batters for her fourth win in five starts.
Oakland’s lead vanished quickly in the bottom of the 1st inning as Florida took a 2-1 lead behind senior Charla Echols two-RBI single up the middle. Fifth year second baseman Hannah Adams started the rally when she reached on an error by the Golden Grizzlies second baseman Madi Herrington and Skylar Wallace moved the pair to second and third with a double to left field.
Florida pushed the lead out to 6-1 with a four-run 5th inning. Sophomore Katie Kistler led the frame off after she was hit by an 0-2 offering, the freshman Kendra Falby reached on an infield single and the duo was drive in by Adams’ double.
Adams scored shortly after via a Charla Echols SAC fly to center field and Wallace was plated on an RBI single roped by sophomore Avery Goelz.
In the circle, Lugo was relieved by freshman Lexie Delbrey in the 6th inning. The Bainbridge, Ga. native faced four batters, struck out two and allowed only one batter to reach base via a walk. Junior Rylee Trlicek came in to close out the game in the 7th inning and allowed only one hit.
The Gators look to close out The Knights Classic Sunday, Feb. 26, with two games against James Madison at 1 p.m. and host UCF at 4 p.m.
Notables:
* Florida improved to 4-0 over Oakland in the all-time standings after tonight’s game.
* The Gators stole four bases against the Golden Grizzlies and it’s the fifth consecutive game that the program has stolen at least four bases.
* Charla Echols extended her hit streak out to 10 games after going 1-for-3 tonight against Oakland. The streak ties her career-long which she established from Feb. 14, 2020 to Feb. 22, 2020.
* The Newnan, Ga. native also recorded three RBI in the game, which brings her multi-RBI game total to five games this season.
* She has also reached base safely the last 12 games.
* Skylar Wallace notched her fourth multi-hit game of the season after going 2-for-2 at the plate.
* Wallace also stole two base(s) as she swiped her 12th & 13th bags of the season in the 3rd & 5th innings.
* She’s reached base safely in all but one game so far this season and is currently on a four-game hitting streak.
* Fifth year graduate Natalie Lugo hurled 5.0 innings in tonight’s game and notched a season-high eight strikeouts.
* Freshman Kendra Falby extended her reached base streak out to all 14 games after going 2-for-4 at the plate.
* Falby also stole her 13th base of the season with a swipe of second base in the bottom of the 6th inning.
* Fellow freshman Reagan Walsh also extended her reached base safely streak out to 11 games after she registered a 1-for-3 performance at the plate.
FOLLOW THE GATORS
FloridaGators.com<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.floridagators.com_softball_&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=_Unz-szK-bpDX1-ZL0nmyIpoMhBuJNOA8JymhdpBTV_yLAmrjIUyhwBTcDrMlILv&s=jNvdat_LaAhPEy6PoHynGq_5RWgPdSUr–mS7S8TjxU&e= >
Florida Softball on Twitter<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__twitter.com_GatorsSB&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=_Unz-szK-bpDX1-ZL0nmyIpoMhBuJNOA8JymhdpBTV_yLAmrjIUyhwBTcDrMlILv&s=R46YMG5J0YxFQDjs5YrLYlDAz5VcAONticNGYtciBYY&e= >
Head Coach Tim Walton on Twitter<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__twitter.com_-5FTimWalton&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=_Unz-szK-bpDX1-ZL0nmyIpoMhBuJNOA8JymhdpBTV_yLAmrjIUyhwBTcDrMlILv&s=vGc9e5znItCvz6q7k_D61VU8ycban72nUtazNd1kBV8&e= >
Florida Softball on Facebook<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.facebook.com_GatorsSB&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=_Unz-szK-bpDX1-ZL0nmyIpoMhBuJNOA8JymhdpBTV_yLAmrjIUyhwBTcDrMlILv&s=u1CMbnCmT2rfJfYb3rM5ut1BS8c-FXXjxgsEyOxOUes&e= >
