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Up 2-0 with two runners aboard, Florida catcher Julia Cottrill swung at an inside pitch and drove it to deep left field. Upon hearing the crack of the bat, LSU left fielder Ciara Briggs darted toward the warning track and tried to rob the three-run bomb, but the ball sailed just over Briggs’ outstretched glove and the left-field wall.

After hitting her first career home run, Cottrill gave credit to assistant coach Aric Thomas who told the sophomore catcher to anticipate inside pitches. “They’re going to throw you inside, so just be ready for it and hit it over the scoreboard,” Thomas said.

She executed the plan, which effectively put the nail in LSU’s coffin as the No. 5 Gators ran away with a 5-0 shutout victory over the No. 13 Tigers in Friday night’s series opener.

After earning SEC Pitcher of the Week honors Tuesday, Florida right-hander Elizabeth Hightower hurled her seventh complete game and fifth shutout this season en route to picking up her 11th win. Hightower allowed lots of solid contact, but a surplus of LSU foul balls led to only three hits and three walks the entire game.

Hightower admitted that she didn’t have her best stuff in the outing, but staying mentally focused and locked in was ultimately the key to her success. “I didn’t specifically think it was my best night in the circle, but you can’t really tell when my defense picked me up so well,” she said. “I couldn’t lose focus, I had to go hard every single pitch and just compete with every batter.”

The Gators got on the board first in the bottom of the third when second baseman Hannah Adams drove in left fielder Jaimie Hoover and center fielder Cheyenne Lindsey on a single up the middle. Hoover led off the inning with her first double this season before Lindsey reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second to put runners in scoring position with one out for Adams. After capitalizing, Adams became just the second Gator to reach the 20 RBI-mark already this year.

The win temporarily moves Florida into solo second place in the SEC standings at 6-1. The Gators trail No. 15 Arkansas (7-0) and hold a half-game advantage over No. 4 Alabama (5-1). Meanwhile, LSU slides back into fifth place as it falls to 4-3 in conference play.

Final (R/H/E)

No. 13 LSU: 0 / 3 / 0

No. 5 Florida: 5 / 7 / 0

Pitching Decision

Win: Hightower (11-1)

Loss: Sunseri (5-3)

Individual Stats (season totals)

Hightower: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (0.90 ERA; 0.68 WHIP)

Adams: 1-3, 2 RBI (.420 BA)

Echols: 1-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B (.403 BA)

Lindaman: 1-2, 1 BB (.338 BA)

Cottrill: 1-3, 3 RBI, 1 HR (1) (.275 BA)

Hoover: 1-2, 1 R (.302 BA)

Wilkie: 1-2 (.250 BA)

Lindsey: 1-2, 1 R, 1 SB (.384 BA)

SEC Showdown

The teams will return to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium for a rematch Saturday at 5 p.m. on ESPN.