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Final: Gators 7, Auburn 0

Kelly Barnhill was finally Kelly Barnhill on Friday night. The senior ace for Florida tossed a complete game no-hitter to lead her team to an important series opening victory.

Backed by a fantastic defensive effort and a nine-hit effort by the offense, Barnhill mowed down the final fifteen batters she faced.

Florida’s offense was ignited with a three-run homer by Amanda Lorenz in the second inning. For Lorenz it was her eleventh homer of the season.

While the 3-0 lead was all Barnhill would need, the offense wasn’t finished.

Sophia Reynoso scored twice (once in the fourth frame and another in the sixth) which upped the Gators advantage to 5-0.

Jaimie Hoover capped the night with a two-run homer to right center.

But the night belonged to Barnhill. Not only did she toss her twelfth career no-hitter, but she also set the program record for strikeouts in the fifth inning.

Auburn only reached base three times, but after a leadoff walk in the third, the Tigers were blanked for the rest of the evening.

This was an important win for Florida. The Gators are currently #9 in the RPI ranking. The top 8 seeds are guaranteed home field if they advance to a Super Regional.

Fast stats:

• Barnhill’s final line: 7 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 10 K, 3 BB
• Jade Caraway: 2-3, R, RBI
• Sophia Reynoso: 2-3, 2R