After clinching its fifth straight conference series in Tuscaloosa Saturday and jumping Alabama as the top SEC team in the national rankings, Florida head coach Tim Walton earned his 950th career win Wednesday in Fort Myers.
Before Florida Gulf Coast pitcher Sarah Lawton managed to record the first out of the game, Gators center fielder Cheyenne Lindsey hit a two-run shot — her fourth home run this season — en route to Florida’s 14th shutout victory this year.
With only 241 losses in 19 seasons, Walton maintains the nation’s highest winning percentage (.798) among active NCAA DI softball coaches.
Florida right-hander Natalie Lugo hurled the first five frames and yielded only three FGCU baserunners on a trio of singles. In the bottom of the sixth, southpaw Katie Chronister entered the circle for Lugo and threw two perfect innings barring a hit-by-pitch. The Gainesville native picked up her fourth save in the month of April.
Following a five-inning scoring hiatus, Florida left fielder Jaime Hoover hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning, which allowed freshman Katie Kistler to score an insurance run before Chronister retired the side in the bottom half to prevail 3-0.
Final (R/H/E)
#3 UF: 3 / 7 / 0
FGCU: 0 / 3 / 0
Pitching Decision
Win: Lugo (11-1)
Loss: Lawton (7-5)
Save: Chronister (4)
Individual Stats (season totals)
Lugo: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (1.34 ERA)
Chronister: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (2.06 ERA)
- Adams: 2-3, 1 R, 1 HBP (.419 BA)
- Lindsey: 1-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR (4) (.352 BA)
- Echols: 1-3, 1 2B (.375 BA)
- Lindaman: 0-3 (.312 BA)
- Cottrill: 1-3 (.287 BA)
- Wilkie: 0-3 (.220 BA)
- A. Goelz: 0-2, 1 SB (.250 BA)
- Longley: 1-1, 1 HBP (.182 BA)
- Hoover: 0-2, 1 RBI (.256 BA)
Next Up
The Gators will return to Gainesville ahead of a weekend home series against South Carolina. The Gamecocks are 2-13 in conference play after they lost their first five series, while Florida’s 12-3 SEC record ranks No. 2 behind only No. 8 Arkansas. Friday’s series opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will air on SEC Network+.