No. 8 Gators Batter Bears; Reschedule Game with Ragin’ Cajuns
The Florida softball team pounded Mercer, 14-3 (5 Innings), but weather forced UF’s game with Louisiana to be moved to Sunday, March 12, at 11:30 a.m. (ET).
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The eighth-ranked Florida softball team opened up play at the Bubly Invitational with a 14-3 (5 innings) win over Mercer Friday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, but weather forced UF’s game with RV/No. 24 Louisiana to be moved to Sunday at 11:30 a.m. (ET) on SEC Network+.
The Gators (16-3) cranked out 14 hits, the second most this season, and plated 14 runs in the victory over the Bears (6-16) to open play today. The trio of Kendra Falby (4-for-4), Charla Echols (3-for-4) and Olivia Gigante (3-for-4) accounted for 10 of the 14 hits for the Orange & Blue.
Florida’s offense electric for the entire game as the team posted three runs in the 1st inning, five runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings of play and one in the 4th inning.
In the 1st inning, Falby scored the first run of the game from third via a throwing error by the Bears’ catcher and Gigante extended the lead out to 3-0 with her second home run of the season. The San Diego, Calif. native lifted the 3-1 offering over the center field wall.
The Gators pushed their lead out to 8-0 in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Skylar Wallace drove in Emily Wilkie her 21st RBI of the year via a groundout to second base for the first run of the frame. With runners on second and third and one out, Echols tallied her first three RBI via her team-leading fifth home run of the season.
Gigante followed suit shortly after in the following at-bat with her second home run of the game over the wall in center field.
After Mercer pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the 3rd inning to close down the lead to 8-2, Florida surged once more for five more runs which extended the lead out to 13-2. The rally was highlighted by Echols’ three-RBI double to center, Gigante’s RBI single up the middle and pinch-hitter Pal Egan’s double down the left field line.
The Bears and the Gators closed out the scoring with a run each in the 4th inning. UF’s run came off the bat of Echols who plated Falby on an infield single. Echols ended her night with a career-high seven RBI.
In the circle, Elizabeth Hightower (8-2) picked up the win with 4 innings pitched before being relieved by Samantha Bender for the final frame of action in the top of the 5th inning.
Saturday’s schedule for the Bubly Invitational remains the same and the Gators are set to take on Mercer at 11 a.m. (ET) and RV/No. 24 Louisiana at 1:30 p.m. (ET). Both games are set to be streamed via SEC Network+.
Ticketing Information
Tickets for the Gators game against the Ragin’ Cajuns originally scheduled for Friday, March 10, will be honored as berm/general admission tickets for Sunday’s rescheduled matchup. For questions, please visit the ticket booth at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Updated Bubly Invitational Schedule
Date
Time (ET)
Home
Away
Result
3/10
10:30 a.m.
Rutgers
Mercer
RU 6, MU 3
3/10
1 p.m.
Rutgers
Louisiana
UL 3, RU 0
3/10
3:30 p.m.
Florida
Mercer
UF 14, MU 3
3/10
Postponed
Florida
Louisiana
Postponed
3/11
11 a.m.
Florida
Mercer
3/11
1:30 p.m.
Florida
Louisiana
3/11
4 p.m.
Mercer
Rutgers
3/11
6:30 p.m.
Louisiana
Rutgers
3/12
9:00 a.m.
Mercer
Louisiana
3/12
11:30 a.m.
Florida
Louisiana
3/12
12 p.m.
Florida
Rutgers
Notables:
* The Gators run-ruled Mercer in the first game of the day.
* Overall, the Orange & Blue has posted 11 run-rule victories in 2023. In 2022, the program had 13 run-rule victories.
* Florida has outscored opponents 169-43 on the year and average 8.89 runs per game.
* UF has scored 10 or more runs nine times this season and has produced 10 or more hits in a game 11 times.
* Freshman Olivia Gigante went 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of home runs and four RBI.
* It’s the first multi-home run game of her career and the four RBI are tied for the most she’s produced as a Gator.
* Charla Echols tallied a career-high seven RBI in the game against Mercer as she went 3-for-4 at the plate with a three-run home run and three-run double.
* The seven RBI are tied for third most overall RBI produced in a single-game in program history.
* Florida Single-Game RBI Records
* 9 RBI – Brianna Little – Mercer – Feb. 22, 2015
* 8 RBI – Taylore Fuller – LSU – March 14, 2015
* 7 RBI – Melissa Zick – Illinois – Feb. 24, 2006
* 7 RBI – Megan Bush – Ole Miss – March 19, 2011
* 7 RBI – Bailey Castro – Ole Miss – April 8, 2012
* 7 RBI – Lauren Haeger – South Florida – May 18, 2013
* 7 RBI – Charla Echols – Mercer – March 10, 2023
* Sophomore Kendra Falby was 4-for-4 with four runs scored in the win against Mercer, which is a career-high in hits and runs for the speedster.
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