Ongoing UF Softball Commentary

Today's UF/TAM game will not be starting at 5 pm as scheduled. The Auburn/Missouri game was supposed to start at 2:30, but the LSU/Miss. St. is now in the 9th innings tied 4-4 and it's 3:06 pm. Gator game is going to be pushed to 6 pm or later, more than likely.

 

It's 5:25 pm and the Auburn Missouri games is in the top of the 4th tied 0-0. UF game will start 30-35 minutes after this game finishes.

 

I'm interested in the Gator starting lineup tonight. Assuming Adams will be back at 2nd, Wallace at SS. Decker catching and Walsh as DP? Roe has the Gators 5th best batting average in SEC games at .282. Walsh is 8th at .210, Echols 9th at .206.

 

Gator softball won their 42nd game of the year by beating Texas A&M 4-1 in the SEC tournament Wednesday night, moving them to the next round to play Kentucky Thursday around 5 pm. Florida jumped on A&M early, getting 3 runs in the first inning on a single from Kendra Falby, a bunt single from Hannah Adams, with Falby going to 3rd and then Adams stealing 2nd while Falby stole home. Charla Echols followed with an RBI single and a Reagan Walsh single. They added a run in the 2nd on a Falby double and an Adams RBI single, but were shut down the rest of the game. Elizabeth Hightower got the win by pitching 5.1 innings and being charged with the lone A&M run on 3 hits, 5 walks and a strikeout. Rylee Trlicek pitched out of a jam in the 6th and went 1.1 innings giving up nothing, with Natalie Lugo getting the final out of the game. Florida got 8 hits on the night, 2 each from Falby, Adams, Echols and Walsh, while Florida pitchers only gave up 3 hits, but 6 walks and only 2 K's. Kentucky will be a challenge Thursday, but having Hannah Adams back in the lineup was a big boost for the Gators.
Personally, I didn't like him taking out Trlicek for that last out, as she was pitching well and with her drop ball it's hard to hit long balls off her and Lugo has given up some critical home runs. But it worked out.

 

Stat comparisons between Florida and Kentucky:
Batting average UF .309/KY .334
HR UF 32/KY 73
Runs UF 319/KY 352
RBI UF 279/KY 325
Walks UF 186/KY 141
Slugging UF .441/KY .559
Strikeouts UF 225/KY 234
Fielding % UF .980/KY .959
ERA UF 2.38/KY 3.55
Opp. BA UF .205/KY .257
HR allowed UF 31/KY 45
Walks UF 180/KY 140
Strikeouts UF 329/KY 223
Record UF 42-15/KY 35-16
RPI UF #13/KY #23
SOS UF #17/KY #20

 

The Gator game is being pushed back ever further than yesterday. The noon game between Tennessee & Miss. St. is still going on at 4 pm. Tied 0-0 in the bottom of the 13th inning. Crazy.

 

Tennessee finally got an RBI single from a freshman in the bottom of the 13th to win 1-0. Ashley Rogers threw 161 pitches in 13 innings, giving up only 3 hits and 2 walks with 7 K's. Miss. St. used 3 pitches throwing 236 pitches, giving up 11 hits and 8 walks with 7 K's. UT stranded 14 base runners before getting the big hit. Bama/Missouri game will start around 4:35, Gator games 30-40 minutes after that game finishes.

 

It's 6 pm and the Alabama/Missouri game is 0-0 in the top of the 6th. Tigers have 2 on, no outs.

 

Hightower starting again for the Gators vs. Kentucky. Decker not in the lineup. That baffles me. Neither is Roe. Wilkie starting behind the plate. Kentucky's pitcher, Tatum Spangler, is a lefty, 9-1 with a 1.42 ERA.