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  • BSB: Gators Advance In SEC Tournament with 4-1 Win Over Kentucky

    BSB: Gators Advance In SEC Tournament with 4-1 Win Over Kentucky

    Photo via SEC Media Portal

    Hoover, AL- Florida pulled out an important win to open the SEC Tournament behind a gutsy effort from starter Tommy Mace. The Gators defeated Kentucky 4-1 and likely ended the Wildcats’ season in the process.

    How It Happened:

    Florida ran into trouble early as a hit by pitch and a double put the first two batters of the game in scoring position for Kentucky. But Mace bounced back by striking out each of the next three to get out of the inning unscathed.

    Jacob Young capitalized on the momentum by swinging first pitch and lining a shot over the fence in left to put the Gators ahead 1-0. Sterlin Thompson added an RBI single that plated Nathan Hickey to put Florida on top 2-0.

    *Hickey only reached base on a walk because a routine pop up to left was dropped by UK in foul territory to continue the at-bat.

    Armed with a 2-0 lead, Mace began dealing, only running into real trouble in the fifth, his final inning of work. The Wildcats did finally get into the run column in the frame as an RBI double by John Rhodes cut the deficit in half.

    Note: Mace tossed 104 pitches just five days prior in Fayetteville against Arkansas.

    But Florida responded in the bottom of the fifth. Cory Acton’s RBI single plated Kendrick Calilao and Mac Guscette reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Thompson.Trey Van Der Weide opened the fifth inning and tossed 2.2 innings in relief while Jack Leftwich closed it out, recording his fifth save of the season.

    Pitching Decision:

    • W: Tommy Mace (6-1)
    • L: Sean Harney (3-2)
    • S: Jack Leftwich (5)

    Individual Stats:

    • Young: 2-4, HR, RBI, R, BB
    • Acton: 2-4, RBI
    • Mace: 5 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 8 K, BB
    • UF Bullpen: 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 K, BB

    On Deck:

    Florida will take on Mississippi State at 10:30 AM on Wednesday as the SEC Tournament has reached the double-elimination point of the bracket.

    The Bulldogs are 40-13 overall and are ranked No. 8 in the nation.

  • Tony Amato: A Fresh Face for Florida

    Tony Amato: A Fresh Face for Florida

    Former Arizona coach Tony Amato takes the reigns of Florida Gators soccer

    Photo via the Gainesville Sports Commission

    Following a 2-0 shutout over the Miami Hurricanes on April 3, former head coach Becky Burleigh said her final goodbyes to the Florida program she helped develop back in 1995.

    A search for the new leader of the Gators locker room began immediately. But, how does one find a proper substitute for a legendary name in the University of Florida and the only coach in program history?

    UF athletic director Scott Stricklin believes he’s found the answer in former Arizona head coach Tony Amato.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    “If you look not only at what he’s done, but what those programs were doing before he got there,” Stricklin explained, “obviously, you can see a definitive trend line from the day he showed up to what happened afterward — and it’s consistent.”

    Amato is on his way to Gainesville after his contract with Arizona expired and carries an impressive resume under his arm.

    Last season, Amato became the all-time winningest coach in Arizona Wildcat history with a 88-53-37 overall record, five appearances in the NCAA tournament and a trip to the Sweet 16.

    Amato does face a familiar challenge though: turning around a program that’s fresh off a losing season.

    In 2020-2021, the Gators posted a 6-8-3 record while slipping to a four-game losing skid in the month of October. Florida was able to topple No. 15 Alabama on Oct. 4 but fell to clubs such as No. 11 South Carolina and unranked Missouri.

    Stricklin believes that Amato can turn around Florida and get back to their winning ways. He also remarks how the coach did it more than once.

    “He did it at three different schools, at three different levels, and [most recently] at a place that was really struggling in the toughest soccer league in the country,” he said, “He put them in position to be a regular postseason team.”

    Although the experience is there, any new setting for a head coach can be a challenge especially with the high expectations of the SEC.

    Amato hasn’t slipped on a Gators shirt yet, but he’s on his way to take the wheel and lead Florida back to the elite status that it hasn’t held in quite some time.

  • The Gridiron Growl Podcast: Gator Defense and Luxury RVing

    The Gridiron Growl Podcast: Gator Defense and Luxury RVing

    Give a listen to the newest installment of The Gridiron Growl Podcast as David Soderquist and fill-in host Jake Hitt discuss the Gator defense and project the unit’s key contributors for the 2021 season.

    Brian Fox then joins from an RV in Hoover, Alabama to rundown the latest in other Gator sports with Jake, including Florida Men’s Tennis bringing a new national title back to Gainesville. He might be there for the SEC Baseball Tournament, but he still finds time to contribute.

    Click play below to hear the latest episode of The Gridiron Growl Podcast:

    You can also follow The Gridiron Growl Podcast on the following platforms:

  • SB: Hightower Deals No-Hitter as Gators Advance to Super Regional

    SB: Hightower Deals No-Hitter as Gators Advance to Super Regional

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk.con

    With two outs in the top of the seventh, Florida shortstop Sarah Longley revealed bunt before she pulled back and roped a grand slam — her first career home run — to center field to open up a 7-0 lead.

    The Gators managed back-to-back homers after center fielder Cheyenne Lindsey extended the lead on a solo shot to deep center.

    Junior right-hander Elizabeth Hightower took the circle in the bottom of the seventh and conceded a leadoff walk before she retired the next three batters to complete just the fourth complete-game no-hitter in Florida NCAA Softball Tournament history.

    After knocking off the Bulls five times already this season, No. 4 Florida defeated USF 8-0 Sunday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium to capture the Gainesville NCAA Regional.

    Hightower struck out 10 batters — matching her career-high — and allowed only three baserunners all via free passes.

    Despite the commanding victory, it took the Gators four innings to finally get on the scoreboard. Third baseman Charla Echols and first baseman Kendyl Lindaman led off the top of the fourth with a pair of singles up the middle before catcher Julia Cottrill belted an RBI double to left-field wall.

    After a hitless fifth frame, Cottrill delivered again the top of the sixth. The sophomore Wichita, Kansas, native hit a no-doubter solo home run onto the roof of the visiting bullpen beyond the left-field fence.

    The Gators held onto a 2-0 advantage until the seventh inning when they went through four different USF pitchers. Prior to the back-to-back homers that put the nail in USF’s coffin, freshman pinch runner Katie Kistler scored Florida’s third run on left fielder Jaimie Hoover’s RBI groundout to second base.

    Final (R/H/E)

    UF: 8 / 10 / 0 

    USF: 0 / 0 / 0

    Pitching Decision

    Win: Hightower (17-5)

    Loss: Corrick (24-9)

    Individual Stats

    Lugo: 7 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K

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

    Rivalry Super Regional

    The Gators will face Georgia next weekend at home in a best of three series to advance to the Women’s College World Series. The series opener will begin Friday at 5 p.m. on ESPNU.

  • Gators Nab Jadarrius Perkins Out of Transfer Portal

    Gators Nab Jadarrius Perkins Out of Transfer Portal

    Photo via Gulf Coast Football | 247Sports.com

    Dan Mullen and the Gators strike again in the transfer portal. This time it comes in the form of Missouri defensive back Jadarrius Perkins.

    Albeit he probably spent more time at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College than in Columbia. The Hattiesburg, Mississippi native was teammates with now-Gator Diwun Black there before signing with the Tigers in February. However, Perkins ended up in the transfer portal by April 29. New secondary coach Jules Montinar then offered Perkins back on May 10.

    According to 247Sports, Perkins was the No. 5 junior college recruit and the third-highest cornerback in the 2021 recruiting class. He totaled 32 tackles (21 solos), one tackle for loss, an interception and five pass breakups in 14 games at Mississippi Gulf Coast.

    https://twitter.com/JDKNOWS2100/status/1396274978656591874?s=20

    The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Perkins will have two more years of eligibility. Plus he’ll add some depth to a young secondary. The only upperclassmen defensive backs for Florida are senior safety Trey Dean III, junior cornerbacks Kaiir Elam and Jaydon Hill plus redshirt senior corner Patrick Moorer.

    Perkins’s commitment also adds a name to the impressive list of talents the Gators added over the last few years via the transfer portal. The most recent examples are defensive linemen DaQuan Newkirk and Antonio Shelton plus running back Demarkcus Bowman.

    Here are some transfers through the portal who contributed to Florida’s 2020 campaign: edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr., wide receiver Justin Shorter, offensive lineman Stewart Reese and running back Lorenzo Lingard.

  • SB: Lugo Goes the Distance as Gators Blank South Alabama to Reach Regional Final

    SB: Lugo Goes the Distance as Gators Blank South Alabama to Reach Regional Final

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk.com

    Following a 1-0 walk-off victory against USF Friday, No. 4 Florida cruised to a 10-0 win over South Alabama Saturday to advance to Sunday’s Gainesville Regional Final.

    Senior right-hander Natalie Lugo started in the circle for the Gators and went the distance for the fifth time this year. Lugo struck out a season-high 11 batters and gave up just two singles and a pair of walks.

    The Gators jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first after left fielder Jaimie Hoover drove in second baseman Hannah Adams and designated player Emily Wilkie on a two-out infield single.

    After a one-two-three second inning, Florida third baseman Charla Echols led off the top of the third with her team-leading 15th home run. The Gators held a 3-0 advantage until the fifth inning when right fielder Baylee Goddard drew a bases-loaded walk.

    Florida sparked a hit parade in the last two innings to give Lugo six insurance runs. Three consecutive singles to begin the top of the sixth produced a three-run inning before South Alabama pulled its starting pitcher, Olivia Lackie.

    Jaguars right-hander Jenna Hardy relieved Lackie in the top of the seventh but allowed three additional Florida runs. Up 8-0 with two outs, first baseman Kendyl Lindaman delivered an opposite-field, two-run single.

    Final (R/H/E)

    No. 4 Florida: 10 / 11 / 0

    South Alabama: 0 / 2 / 0

    Pitching Decision

    Win: Lugo (17-2)

    Loss: Lackie (19-11)

    Individual Stats

    Lugo: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K

    1. Adams: 1-4, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 SB
    2. Wilkie: 2-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 K, 1 HBP
    3. Echols: 2-3, 1 R, 2 RBIs, 1 2B, 1 HR (15), 1 BB, 1 K
    4. Lindaman: 2-5, 2 RBIs
    5. Cottrill: 1-3, 1 RBI, 2 BB
    6. Hoover: 1-3, 2 RBIs, 1 BB
    7. Goddard: 0-1, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 HBP
    8. Longley: 1-3, 1 K
    9. Lindsey: 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB

    Gainesville Regional Final

    The Gators will face the winner of the semifinal between South Alabama and USF in the Regional Final Sunday at noon.

  • LAX: Gators Finish Season with Elite Eight Loss to Syracuse

    LAX: Gators Finish Season with Elite Eight Loss to Syracuse

    Florida failed to advance to the Final Four after falling to the Syracuse Orange, 16-11.

    Photo by Benjamin Fox | ChompTalk.com

    Five seconds stood on the clock in the first half, Syracuse fans taunted as Florida scurried for possession and under pressure, Emily Heller ran in for a pop shot to tie the brutal game 5-5. 

    Defenders checked harshly, midfielders tumbled to the ground and attackers bolted for shot attempts. 

    The matchup was gruesome, to say the least.

    The Gators fell short to Syracuse 16-11 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships Saturday and ended their 21-game season.

    “Powerful and intimidating:” two words amongst numerous used to describe the tough Syracuse team battled by Florida in New York.

    Attacker Meaghan Tyrrell challenged Florida right off the bat, however, with a free position two minutes later. Tyrrell later clawed through Florida’s defense and scored with a spin-around shot to bring the game 3-2 Syracuse.

    An elated Sam Swart jumped in victory after a pop shot overhand goal to bring the score 4-2 with 12 minutes left in the first half.

    Freshman Emma Ward opened the second half with a perimeter shot that just barely hit the cage and later went on to collect a whopping six goals from the game.

    The attacker pushed past Becky Brownddorf for a hat trick five minutes into the second period; Ward’s seventh of the season.

    Emma Tyrell, sister of Meaghan Tyrell, snuck in a shot five minutes into the second half and pushed Florida to go to timeout, as Syracuse boasted a three-point lead. 

    Goaltender Sarah Reznick fell hard against Syracuse’ 28 shots on goal. Unable to catch up, Florida trailed behind Syracuse with seven saves to the Orange’s 11. Julia Hammerschlag had no time in the cage.

    Syracuse took point advantage for 18.5 minutes in the first and in all of second half, but Florida didn’t step down so easily.

    Brianna Harris started the game strong as she punched in a shot only 20 seconds into regulation and gathered here 48th goal of the season. 

    Grace Haus pulled a strategic low-shot on the free position and broke the five-point lead Syracuse carried with 20 minutes left in gameplay.

    Kavanagh made a small comeback in the halfway through second period with a pass from Person Cabrera and a low-bounce shot. Twelve minutes into the first half, the senior tied Syracuse with a clutch overhand goal. It was her fourth game of the season without a hat trick. Still, the AAC midfielder of the year finished her career with 293 points and will go down as a Gators lacrosse legend.

    Senior Kassidy Bresnahan reignited Florida’s confidence 15 minutes into the second half with a forceful drive to the net that made the score 8-12. 

    Ward came back shortly after with a fifth goal of her own in the game, and the Gators were down by five once again. 

    It was a sticky situation, as the No. 2 team offensively and No. 3 team defensively nationwide were struggling against a fierce Syracuse roster. 

    On top of such, Cara Trombetta had no appearance throughout the game as the AAC Defender of the Year suffered a knee injury against Jacksonville on May 16. Pressure weighted the back of defender Kaitlyn Dabkowski because of so, and the defense scurried to pick up the pieces. 

    Still, the brought the Florida energy to the field and notched 11 goals.

    The loss concludes Florida’s 2021 season, and Syracuse enters the final four as they go into championship weekend.

    Contact Faith Buckley on Twitter @_faithbuckley

  • SB: Gators Open NCAA Regional With Walk-Off Victory Against USF

    SB: Gators Open NCAA Regional With Walk-Off Victory Against USF

    Photo by Faith Buckley

    After she held USF scoreless through six frames, Florida right-hander Elizabeth Hightower yielded a pair of baserunners in the top of the seventh before southpaw Katie Chronister entered the circle with only one out.

    Chronister faced Bulls first baseman Bethaney Keen who singled up the middle to break the Gators’ combined no-hitter. But Florida center fielder Cheyenne Lindsey, catcher Julia Cottrill and third baseman Charla Echols pulled off a miraculous 8-2-5 double play to escape the jam.

    In the bottom half of the inning, Lindsey hit a leadoff single off USF pitcher Georgina Corrick and scored the game-winning run all the way from first base on second baseman Hannah Adams’s double to the center-field wall.

    After it defeated the Bulls four times in the regular season, No. 4 Florida opened its NCAA Regional with a 1-0 walk-off victory over USF Friday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

    Hightower made her fourth consecutive start to begin the postseason and allowed just one baserunner prior to the seventh inning via a walk. On offense, the Gators stranded at least one baserunner each inning until the bottom of the seventh.

    Final (R/H/E)

    USF: 0 / 1 / 1

    #4 UF: 1 / 7 / 1

    Pitching Decision

    Win: Chronister (10-2)

    Loss: Corrick (22-8)

    Individual Stats

    Hightower: 6.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

    Chronister: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

    1. Adams: 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 2B, HBP
    2. Lindaman: 1-3
    3. Echols: 1-2, 1 3B, 1 BB, 1 SB
    4. Cottrill: 0-3, 1 K
    5. Wilkie: 1-2, 1 2B, 1 HBP
    6. Hoover: 1-3, 1 K
    7. Goddard: 0-2, 1 HBP
    8. Longley: 0-2
    9. Lindsey: 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B

    Gainesville Regional

    The Gators will face South Alabama Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN3.

  • BSB: Gators Walked Off to Drop Series at Arkansas

    BSB: Gators Walked Off to Drop Series at Arkansas

    Photo by Kristen Oliff | ChompTalk.com

    With a runner on third base in the bottom of the ninth inning, Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan made the decision to bring left fielder Jacob Young to play up the middle at second base. The Gators had recorded one out before Jack Leftwich delivered a 3-2 pitch that Arkansas’ Charlie Welch belted to right field, just out of reach of Sterlin Thompson for the game winning RBI double.

    Florida dropped to 35-18 overall and 17-12 in SEC play with the 4-3 defeat.

    How It Happened:

    After an hour and forty-five minute rain delay, the Gators got out to a 3-0 lead after scoring two in the first and adding another an inning later.

    Florida first baseman hit a two-run single to left that plated Nathan Hickey and Kris Armstrong in the first and freshman Sterlin Thompson crushed a solo home run to right in the second to build the advantage.

    Hunter Barco looked comfortable on the mound, allowing just two runs in the bottom of the second, but put his team in position to win until being relieved after six innings of work.

    Jack Leftwich came on in the seventh and pitched superbly until allowing a two-out solo homer to tie the game.

    What ensued in the bottom of the ninth encapsulated much of the season for Florida baseball. A ball hit to the gap in left-center by Casey Opitz, was run down by Jud Fabian, but the stellar outfielder slid past the ball and it squirted behind him to allow Opitz to coast into third to lead off the frame. After a foul out, Welch came through with the game winning hit for the Razorbacks.

    Pitching Decision:

    • W: Kevin Kopps (10-0)
    • L: Jack Leftwich (7-4)

    Individual Stats:

    • Hickey: 2-4, R
    • Armstrong: 2-4, 2B, R
    • Thompson: 1-2, HR, RBI, R, 2 BB
    • Barco: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 8 K, 3 BB

    On Deck:

    Florida will complete the series and the regular season on Saturday. The game will be aired on SEC Network+ with first pitch slated for 3:00 PM.

  • BSB: Gators Open Series in Fayetteville with a 6-1 Loss

    BSB: Gators Open Series in Fayetteville with a 6-1 Loss

    Photo by Kristen Oliff | ChompTalk.com

    Florida got on the scoreboard first, but Arkansas ace Patrick Wicklander pitched a gem as the No. 1 Razorbacks topped the Gators 6-1 to open the final regular season series on Friday.

    How It Happened:

    The Gators struck in the second inning when Kendrick Calilao continued his hot streak with a solo homer.

    The Razorbacks came back and tacked on a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to take a 3-1 advantage.

    Meanwhile, Tommy Mace continued to go deep into counts, forcing an early exit in the fifth inning. Trey Van Der Weide tossed two scoreless innings in relief before Christian Scott entered. Scott allowed three runs in the eighth to put the game out of reach.

    While the pitching wasn’t great, the offensive approach was a major issue. Florida struck out 16 times in the game and found themselves behind in nearly every at-bat.

    Pitching Decision:

    • W:Patrick Wicklander (5-1)
    • L: Tommy Mace (5-1)

    Individual Stats:

    • Calilao: 1-4, HR, RBI, R
    • UF Lineup: 3 H, 16 K
    • Mace: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 8 K, 4 BB

    On Deck:

    Florida still has two games to right the ship in Fayetteville. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 8:00 PM ET.