Florida looks to rebound this Friday, March 2, with a pair of games against Georgia State and Coastal Carolina at 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The fourth-ranked softball team dropped a midweek contest against Southern Mississippi, 5-4, Wednesday evening at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
The Gators (16-1) outhit the Golden Eagles (12-5) nine hits to five on the evening, but Southern Miss capitalized on a trio of opportunities that allowed them to take the contest.
In the top of the 1st inning, Jana Lee put USM on the board with a three-run home run and her teammate Maria Smith added a solo shot in the 2nd inning for four of the five runs the Golden Eagles scored.
However, Florida responded with a run of its on in the bottom of the 1st inning of play as Charla Echols drove in Kendra Falby on an RBI single up the middle and closed down the Southern Miss lead to 4-3 in the 2nd inning via a bases loaded hit-by-pitch drawn by Hannah Adams and an RBI walk by Skylar Wallace.
UF went on to tie the game, 4-4, in the 5th inning when Wallace ripped her third triple of the season out to left field. The hustle play from the Woodstock, Ga. native setup senior Charla Echols for her fourth SAC fly of the season. The Newnan, Ga. native drove home the speedy Wallace with a fly ball to left field.
Back in the circle, freshman right-handed pitcher Lexie Delbrey (5-1) settled down after the first two innings of play and went on to retire 12 of the next 16 batters and went on to finish her night with a season-high nine strikeouts.
Southern Miss capitalized on their final opportunity of the evening after a leadoff bunt single and a walk put two runners on with no outs. Reliever Marissa Mesiemore forced the first batter she faced to send a fielder’s choice ground ball to second, but the attempt to turn a double play on the throw back to first went wide and allowed the Golden Eagles to score their final run of the evening.
Florida battled back in the home half of the frame as Wallace notched her second hit of the game to put the tying run on base, but Golden Eagles ace pitcher Morgan Leinstock (7-1) was able to induce a lineout double play to end the game.
The Gators return to action Friday, March 4, at 3:30 p.m. against Georgia State and Coastal Carolina at 6 p.m. as they host the Bubly Invitational this weekend.
Notables:
* Freshman Kendra Falby went 2-for-3 against Southern Miss and extended her reached base streak out to all 17 games of the season.
* The Odessa, Fla. native entered the week as the nation’s leader in hits and now has 29 on the season.
* Falby also now has 11 multi-hit games this year.
* Skylar Wallace went 2-for-3 at the plate tonight with a triple to left field and two walks.
* Wallace extends her hitting streak to seven games and has reached based in all but one game so far this season.
* Charla Echols is on a 13-game hitting streak after going 1-for-2 against Southern Miss.
* Echols drove in two RBI for the Gators tonight, which brings her multi-RBI game total to eight games this season.
* Freshman pitcher Lexie Delbrey tied her season-high record of nine strikeouts tonight.
* Last time Delbrey pitched nine strikeouts was on Feb. 16, versus Jacksonville.
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