SB: Cottrill’s Walk-Off Clinches Florida’s Ninth SEC Regular Season Title
Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk.com

With one out in the bottom of the seventh and the tying run on second base, Florida catcher Julia Cottrill fouled off three consecutive pitches before she belted a walk-off, two-run homer onto the roof of the home bullpen behind the left-field fence.

Following Saturday’s series-clinching shutout victory, Florida defeated Texas A&M 6-5 at home Sunday to complete the sweep and pick up its 40th win of the year.

Senior right-hander Natalie Lugo started for the Gators and surrendered three runs in the top of the first. After she fielded a groundout for the first out, Lugo gave up four straight singles before a hit-by-pitch and a wild pitch yielded two additional runs.

In the top of the fourth, an RBI double extended Texas A&M’s the lead to 4-0 before Florida southpaw Katie Chronister relieved Lugo and finished the game in the circle. Barring a solo home run in the top of the sixth, Chronister held the Aggies hitless en route to earning her ninth win this season.

Aggies pitcher Kayla Poynter started again and hurled four hitless frames until Florida second baseman Hannah Adams went yard in the bottom of the fifth. Right fielder Baylee Goddard drew a leadoff walk and broke the shutout on Adams’ two-run homer to center. With two outs and the bases loaded, left fielder Jaimie Hoover tied the game on a two-run single into center field.

An inning later, Texas A&M shortstop Rylen Wiggins hit a go-ahead solo shot before Florida third baseman Charla Echols’ seventh-inning double put the tying run in scoring position ahead of Cottrill’s walk-off heroics.

Final (R/H/E)

Texas A&M: 5 / 8 / 0

No. 4 Florida: 6 / 5 / 0

Pitching Decision

Win: Chronister (9-2)

Loss: Poynter (9-8)

Individual Stats

Lugo: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Chronister: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

  1. Adams: 1-4, 1 R, 2 RBIs, 1 HR (10)
  2. Lindaman: 0-3, 1 BB
  3. Echols: 2-4, 2 R, 1 2B
  4. Cottrill: 1-2, 2 R, 2 RBIs, 1 HR (4), 1 BB
  5. Wilkie: 0-0, 3 HBP
  6. Hoover: 1-3, 2 RBIs
  7. Longley: 0-3
  8. Goddard: 0-1, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP
  9. Lindsey: 0-3

SEC Tournament

After they secured the No. 1 seed with a 19-5 conference record, the Gators will travel to Tuscaloosa for the SEC Tournament set to begin Wednesday. They’ll face the winner of Ole Miss and Mississippi State Thursday at 11 a.m. on the SEC Network. Florida didn’t play Ole Miss in the regular season, but it swept Mississippi State on the road.

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