Up six runs in the bottom of the sixth, Florida third baseman Charla Echols hit an RBI double into left-center before she scored the game-clinching run on catcher Sam Roe’s double down the left-field line.
All gas, no brakes ⛽️🔋 #GoGators | @uhohsamroe pic.twitter.com/YXZZOzCfW1
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) March 16, 2023
No. 8 Florida cruised to an 8-0 victory over Bucknell Wednesday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville.
The Gators improve to 20-4 overall and 12-1 at home. The win marks Florida’s 10th shutout win and 15th run-rule victory this season.
Florida southpaw Rylee Trick started in the circle and hurled three perfect innings while striking out a season-high five batters. Right-hander Samantha Bender — who earned her first win as a Gator after transferring from Tennessee — threw a pair of shutout frames before freshman right-hander Olivia Gigante stranded two baserunners in the top of the sixth.
The Gators scored a pair of runs in the first, third and fourth innings.
In the bottom of the first, shortstop Skylar Wallace doubled and scored on an Echols single up the middle. Wallace leads the SEC in on-base percentage (.623) and ranks fifth in the nation with in slugging percentage (1.043). Echols scored the second run on second baseman Reagan Walsh’s infield single.
In the third, junior first baseman Avery Goelz drove in two runs on a two-out single up the middle.
Junior left fielder Katie Kistler led off the bottom of the fourth with a triple and scored on sophomore center fielder Kendra Falby’s double into the left-center gap. Falby stole third for her 15th stolen base this year — leads the team —before she scored on a fielder’s choice to take to a 6-0 advantage.
Box Score
Bucknell: 0 / 1 / 2
Florida: 8 / 11 / 1
Pitching Decision
Win: Bender (1-0)
Loss: Burton (0-4)
Individual Stats
LHP Trlicek: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K [2.21/1.13 season ERA/WHIP]
RHP Bender: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K [9.00/1.86 season ERA/WHIP]
RHP Gigante: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K [4.67/1.89 season ERA/WHIP]
- CF Falby: 1-4, RBI, SB (15) [.453/.523/.520 season slash line]
- SS Wallace: 2-3, BB, 2 RBI, HR (6) [.447/.623/1.043 season slash line]
- 3B Echols: 2-4, 2 RBI [.459/.568/.869 season slash line]
- P Gigante: 1-3 [.325/.471/.725 season slash line]
- 2B Walsh: 1-2, RBI [.362/.480/.534 season slash line]
- Roe: 1-2, RBI [.327/.450/.490]
- RF Egan: 0-2, HBP [.375/.476/1.000 season slash line]
- 1B A. Goelz: 1-3, RBI [.391/.437/.516 season slash line]
- C Wilkie: 0-1, BB [.286/.423/.714 season slash line]
- Longley: 0-1 [.200/.364/.514 season slash line]
- LF Kistler: 0-1 [.333/.407/.412 season slash line]
- Pollard: 0-1 [.308/.372/.641 season slash line]
SEC Play On Deck
The Gators will open conference play this weekend with a three-game home series against Mizzou. Florida prevailed in eight of its previous nine matchups against the Tigers dating back to 2017. Friday’s series opener is scheduled for 6 p.m.