The two teams will play for the series Sunday at 12 p.m. (ET) on SEC Network+.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A late rally by Ole Miss allowed them to take game two, 7-2, and even the series, 1-1, with the 14th-ranked Florida softball team early Saturday afternoon on senior day at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Prior to the game UF honored Charla Echols, Elizabeth Hightower, Kinsey Goelz, Sarah Longley, Pal Egan and Samantha Bender for their contributions to the program.
The Gators (33-16, 9-11 SEC) and the Rebels (28-22, 7-13 SEC) battled in a pitcher’s duel between starters Elizabeth Hightower (14-10) and Catelyn Riley (6-4) for the first three inning of play.
Hightower managed five strikeouts and only allowed a walk and a base hit through the first four innings of work to hold Ole Miss scoreless. The outstanding start allowed Florida to capture its first lead of the game in the bottom of the 4th inning of play.
UF took a 1-0 lead over Ole Miss thanks to Kendra Falby’s sharply hit RBI single that deflected off the Rebels’ third baseman’s glove, which allowed Sarah Longley to score.
However, Ole Miss bounced back to take the lead 3-1 after it capitalized from a bases clearing triple by Brooke Barnard in the top of the 5th inning. The Rebels loaded the bases via a pair of hit by pitches and a walk issued by Hightower. The one-out bases loaded situation resulted in UF making a call to the bullpen and bring in reliever Rylee Trlicek for the one-out bases loaded situation that resulted in the three RBI triple by Barnard.
The Gators struck back and closed down the Rebels lead to 3-2 in the home half of the 5th inning. Junior Emily Wilkie blasted her third home run in the last six games over the wall down the left field line.
Florida went on to threaten and tie the game in the bottom of the 6th inning, but a great play by the Rebels retired Falby, the tying run, at home plate for the final out of the inning.
With momentum back on the Rebels side they struck for four runs in the top of the 7th inning to extend their lead out to 7-2 and conclude the scoring for the day.
Notables:
* The Gators produced 10 or more hits in a game for the 20th time this season after notching 12 in today’s game.
* Pal Egan registered her fourth multi-hit game of the year going 2-for-4, while Sarah Longley also went 2-for-4 for her fourth muti-hit game of the season. Kendra Falby tallied a 2-for-3 today and is tied for the team lead with 16 multi-hit games on the year.
* Falby is also riding a five-game hit-streak.
* Emily Wilkie launched her sixth home run of the season in today’s game and has now hit three over her last six games played.
* Skylar Wallace went 1-for-3 today and hit her sixth double of the season. The Woodstock, Ga. native has reached base safely in the last 14-straight games and overall reached base safely in 44 of the 45 games she has played this season.
* Reagan Walsh is now on a hit-streak of three straight games after today 1-for-3 performance.
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