Wallace has Career Day; No. 15 Gators Run-Rule No. 12 Bulldogs
Redshirt junior Skylar Wallace posted a career-high four hits, seven RBI and three home runs in the series opening win over Georgia.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Redshirt-junior Skylar Wallace led the 15th-ranked Florida softball team to a 13-4 (6 inning) run-rule victory to open the series over No. 12 Georgia in front of 2,225 fans Friday evening at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Wallace (4-for-4) posted a career-high four hits, seven RBI and three home runs en route to the victory.
Overall, the Gators (30-10, 7-6 SEC) offense struck for 13 hits, which included four from Wallace, and multi-hit performances by Sam Roe (2-for-2) and Avery Goelz (2-for-3). Goelz’s three RBI night also tied her career-high, which she has achieved now seven times.
Elizabeth Hightower (14-5) earned the victory in the circle going 4 1/3 innings, while Rylee Trlicek picked up her third save of the year finishing out the final 1 2/3 innings.
Wallace was a force from the very first at-bat of the game as the Woodstock, Ga. native fought through an 11-pitch at-bat from Georgia’s (32-9, 4-3 SEC) starting pitcher Shelby Walters (15-2) for a solo home run that gave Florida a 1-0 lead.
Roe started the rally in the bottom of the 2nd inning that saw the Gators’ lead grow to 4-0 when she led off the frame with a single to left field. Katie Kistler reached on a fielder’s choice in the ensuing at-bat and Roe was safe second after a throwing error on UGA’s second baseman trying to retire Roe at second. Sarah Longley moved the duo into scoring position the following at-bat, which set the table for Goelz’s first RBI of the game.
With the lineup turned back over to the top of the order, Wallace went on to drive in Kistler via her second home run of the day over the right field wall.
Both Hightower and Walters notched a scoreless frame in the 3rd inning, and Hightower retired the side in order in the 4th inning.
In the bottom half of the 4th inning, Roe led off the inning once again with an infield single to second base. Goelz notched her first hit of the game with a two-out shot back up the middle, which once again set the table for Wallace. Wallace didn’t leave the ballpark in her third at-bat, but she did drive in Roe via an RBI single up the middle that extend the lead out to 5-0 and Goelz scored shortly after another UGA defensive miscue to push the lead out to 6-0.
The Bulldogs responded and closed down the Gators lead to 6-4 after a bunt single, a walk and back-to-back-to-back doubles from the heart of the UGA order.
However, Florida’s offense was not to be outdone as Sarah Longley drove in Pal Egan with an RBI single to left center and Kendra Falby plated Longley on an infield single back to the circle that extend the lead out to 8-4 in the bottom of the 5th inning.
Trlicek held Georgia to just an infield single in the 6th inning that sent Florida back to the plate where Egan single to center field, Roe and Longley walked to load the bases. Goelz notched her second hit of the game with a two-RBI single up the middle and Wallace fitting closed out the scoring with her game-ending three-run home run to center field.
Florida and Georgia return to action Sunday, April 15, at 2 p.m. (ET) on SEC Network+ for game two of the series.
Notables:
* Tonight’s win was the second time this year that the Gators have opened a conference series with a win.
* UF improved to 43-30 all-time against Georgia and it’s the first run-rule victory over the Bulldogs at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium since March 11, 2009 when UF defeated UGA 15-0 (5 innings).
* The last time a run-rule occurred however was April 4, 2021 when UF down UGA 17-1 (5 innings) in Athens.
* Skylar Wallace produced a career-high four hits, seven RBI and three home runs.
* The three home runs mark her first multi-home run game of her career and it ties the UF single game record for home runs with Briana Little (Feb. 22, 2015 – vs. Mercer) and Taylor Fuller (March 14, 2015 – vs. LSU).
* The seven RBI are tied for the third most by a UF player in a single game in program history.
* Briana Little – Feb. 22, 2015 – Mercer – 9 RBI
* Taylore Fuller – March 14, 2015 – LSU – 8 RBI
* Skylar Wallace – April 14, 2023 – Georgia – 7 RBI
* Charla Echols – March 10, 2023 – Mercer – 7 RBI
* Lauren Haeger – May 18, 2013 – USF – 7 RBI
* Bailey Castro – April 8, 2012 – Ole Miss – 7 RBI
* Megan Bush – March 19, 2011 – Ole Miss – 7 RBI
* Melissa Zick – Feb. 24, 2006 – Illinois – 7 RBI
* Wallace’s four hits also tie the single game record at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium and rank tied for second all-time in a single game behind Bree Berger’s five hit performance at Kentucky (March 17, 2001).
* Avery Goelz tied her career-high in RBI with three tonight.
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