Knotted up at three runs entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Florida junior Emily Wilkie dug into the right-handed batter’s box with the bases loaded and one out. On a 2-0 count, Wilkie tattooed a 60 mph pitch over the left-center-field wall — her fourth home run this year — to lift the Gators past in-state rival USF 7-3.
Sophomore second baseman Reagan Walsh gave Florida an early lead with a two-run shot in bottom of the first.
In her past three games, Walsh is 7-11 at the pate with five RBIs.
An inning later, Gator shortstop Skylar Wallace recorded her 11th multi-hit performance of the season and drove in her 44th run — tied for fifth most the in the SEC.
Florida right-hander Elizabeth Hightower started in the circle and allowed three earned runs across five innings. In the top of the sixth, senior southpaw Rylee Trlicek came in for relief and recorded the final six outs en route to picking up her 11th win this season.
After capping off their eight-game home stand with a victory, the No. 13 Gators improve to 32-11 and 21-4 at home.
Box Score
USF: 3 / 5 / 0
UF: 7 / 10 / 0
Pitching Decision
Win: Trlicek (11-2)
Loss: Ponn (3-1)
Individual Stats
RHP Hightower: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
LHP Trlicek: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
- SS Wallace: 2-3, RBI, BB, 2 SB (26)
- LF Falby: 0-3, BB, 3 K
- 3B Echols: 0-4
- 2B Walsh: 3-4, 2 RBI, HR (5)
- RF Egan: 0-3, BB, K
- DP Roe: 1-2, HBP
- C Longley: 1-2, 2 BB
- 1B Wilkie: 2-4, 4 RBI, HR (4)
- CF: A. Goelz: 1-3, K
On Deck
The Gators will travel to Knoxville, Tennessee, this weekend to face the No. 4 Lady Volunteers in a three-game series. Saturday’s series opener will air on ESPNU at 4 p.m. before games two and three on Sunday and Monday air on the SEC Network at 7 p.m.
Tennessee currently leads the SEC with a 13-2 conference record and a 35-5 overall record. Florida and Tennessee split their previous 10 meetings, but the two rivals haven’t met in Knoxville since 2017.