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After losing its SEC opening weekend finale to No. 9 Kentucky and dropping an exhibition game to Team USA Tuesday, No. 5 Florida found its way back into the win column Wednesday at home against North Dakota.

The Gators took a commanding four-run lead in the opening frame after freshman catcher Emily Wilkie capped off an epic two-out rally with her first career grand slam. Following back-to-back groundouts, Charla Echols singled up the middle before Julia Cottrill reached on an error and Avery Goelz drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases for Wilkie.

An inning later, center fielder Cheyenne Lindsey walked and stole her seventh base this season to put a runner in scoring position for the top of Florida’s batting order. Second baseman Hannah Adams drove in Lindsey on a single down the right field line, extending the lead to 5-0. Head coach Tim Walton moved Lindsey back into the nine-hole in the lineup after she led off for the past five games. During that stretch, Lindsey hit just 4-19 (.211) and scored only one run.

Florida left-hander Rylee Trlicek pitched the first four innings and picked up her first win this season. The sophomore southpaw allowed just four hits and one unearned run in the top of the fourth on a rare error by first baseman Kendyl Lindaman.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Gators answered North Dakota lone score with two insurance runs. A pair of walks led to a Lindaman RBI-single and an Echols sacrifice fly — her team-leading 23rd RBI this season.

The remaining go-to Florida pitchers — senior right-hander Natalie Lugo, fifth-year southpaw Katie Chronister and junior right-hander Elizabeth Hightower — hurled the final three innings. The dominant trio faced only 10 batters and struck out six en route to closing out a 7-1 non-conference victory.

Final (R-H-E)

North Dakota: 1-5-1

No. 5 Florida: 7-6-1

Pitching Decision

Win: Trlicek (1-0)

Loss: Jones: (4-4)

Individual Stats

Trlicek: 4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Lugo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Chronister: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Hightower: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Adams: 1-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB

Lindaman: 2-4, 1 RBI

Echols: 1-3, 1 R, 1 RBI

Cottrill: 1-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HBP

Wilkie: 1-2, 1 R, 4 RBI, 1 HR (2), 1 BB

Lindsey: 0-1, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 SB

SEC Road Trip

The Gators will head to Strakville ahead of their first conference road series this weekend against Mississippi State.