Chomping at the bit for Florida Athletics
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The trio discuss the quarterback play, the defense, and much more in this episode of The Gridiron Growl Podcast.
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Final: Florida 8, Florida A&M 0
At no point was Sunday’s game against Florida A&M in question as the Gators pounded out seven runs in the first three innings. Yet, the entire (socially distanced) crowd was still in attendance in the bottom of the eighth.
That’s because Florida leadoff hitter Jacob Young was still searching for a hit. Young had reached base in two of his previous at-bats (on an error and a hit-by-pitch), but entered the batter’s box 0-3 on the afternoon.
Young watched three balls go by and fouled one pitch away before taking a 3-1 hack that darted to the left of second base. The FAMU shortstop moved over, then in and the ball went right beneath his glove and into centerfield.
The time it took for the official scoring to post to the scoreboard seemed like an eternity, probably because it should have been an error. Instead, the scorer gave Young the hit and extended his hitting streak to a program record 30, surpassing Tim Olson’s mark from the 2000 season. Furthermore, he is just the seventh player in SEC history to reach 30 straight.
Don’t make much of the scoring decision, though. Jacob Young earned his place in Gators history. In the first inning, Young easily could have been given a hit on a ball that was bobbled by the Rattlers’ third baseman. Young’s speed was the likely cause of the error. Young also scored twice, once again playing catalyst to a dynamic offensive effort.
Florida blanked the Rattlers behind easily the best start of Hunter Barco’s season as he went five scoreless innings and matched a career high with nine strikeouts and one walk.
The Gators’ bullpen tossed four inning, only giving up three hits and two walks. Franco Aleman closed the series with a perfect inning of work that included two strikeouts and no walks.
Jud Fabian homered into the FAMU bullpen in the first to open the scoring while Nathan Hickey added a two run double in the second to increase the lead to 5-0. A Colby Halter double in the fifth plated Sterlin Thompson to complete the scoring.
Pitching Decision:
Individual Stats:
What’s Next:
Florida will face Georgia State on Tuesday in midweek action and will follow that with a contest against Stetson on Wednesday.
The Tigers are 4-9 on the season but have some impressive wins on their resume. The beat No. 14 West Virginia twice, No. 2 Vanderbilt once, and No. 10 Georgia Tech by a 10-1 final. They were swept by No. 17 Tennessee this weekend, however.
Following its hottest start in five seasons (14-0), No. 5 Florida dropped its first game in 370 days Saturday night. The Gators carried a 20-game winning streak into Tallahassee where they lost to in-state rival No. 16 Florida State 7-2.
In the latter matchup of a home-and-home series, the Seminoles sought revenge following Florida’s shutout victory at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium Friday.
After hurling 23 consecutive shutout frames to begin the season, Florida southpaw Katie Chronister ran into trouble in the bottom of the second inning. The Gainesville native surrendered five earned runs without recording an out before senior right-hander Natalie Lugo entered the circle in relief. A leadoff double led to a single before a nine-pitch walk loaded the bases for FSU shortstop Josie Muffley.
Chronister threw a wild pitch, which broke her perfect ERA, before Muffley laid down a squeeze bunt to open up a two-run Florida State lead. Subsequent extra-base hits plated three more runs to grant the Seminoles a 5-0 advantage heading into the third inning. Chronister struggled to command the location of her pitches out of the gate as she threw only 22 strikes on 40 pitches.
Florida State pitcher Kathryn Sandercock cruised through the Gators’ lineup the first time through; Sandercock tossed three scoreless innings and struck out five batters until a hiccup in the top of the fourth broke the shutout. A pair of Florida singles led to freshman catcher Emily Wilkie’s RBI-double. Three batters later, UF shortstop Sarah Longley poked a sacrifice fly into foul territory in right field; third baseman Charla Echols beat the throw home to cut the deficit to 5-2.
But Lugo conceded two unearned insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, which secured the Seminoles’ revenge win and placed Florida in the loss column for the first time in over a year.
No. 5 UF: 2-6-1
No. 16 FSU: 7-8-2
Win: Sandercock (5-1)
Loss: Chronister (5-1)
LHP Chronister: 1 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K (1.52/0.61 season ERA/WHIP)
RHP Lugo: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (1.28/0.95)
1B Lindaman: 1-2, 1 BB (.308/.471/.564 season slash line)
3B Echols: 2-3, 1 R (.419/.500/.767)
C Wilkie: 1-3, 1 RBI (4), 1 2B (.250/.455/.563)
CF Lindsey: 1-3, 1 R, 1 RBI (11) (.463/.489/.683)
The Gators will return to Gainesville ahead of a Wednesday night non-conference tilt against Kennesaw State.
The Florida Gators women’s volleyball team added another clean sweep to their season as they took on the Arkansas Razorbacks again Saturday in the O’Connell Center. The match looked entirely different than the previous night’s match as the Gators took off against Arkansas in the first and final set.
How it happened
Set 1: 25-16 UF
The match started out fast-paced as the Gators took the early lead as they went up 7-3 over the Razorbacks. Arkansas attempted to match Florida. However, as the Razorbacks put up points to try to tick away the lead, the Gators just put up more. Arkansas called a timeout as the Gators upped their lead to 11-5. Florida came out of the timeout with several kills to go up 16-8. The Razorbacks were not able to keep up as the Gators held a seven- to nine-point lead over them for the remainder of the set. Florida finished the set with a final kill and a nine-point lead over Arkansas.
Set 2: 25-21 UF
Luckily for Arkansas, the second set started off with back-and-forth action resemblant to that of Friday’s sets. However, the teams were 5-4 Florida when the Gators began to take off again as they widened their lead. Florida went up 9-5 when Arkansas began to attempt to lessen Florida’s lead scoring two points. At this point, the process repeated again of Florida going up and Arkansas attempting to catch up. Florida improved their lead to 12-7 when Arkansas began to fight back as they added four consecutive points and forced a Florida timeout. The two teams tied up 14-14 and began to battle toe-to-toe. Arkansas was able to emerge with a two-point lead, but they immediately lost it to another tie game at 17-17. After losing their two-point lead, Arkansas called a timeout. The process repeated coming out of the timeout, Arkansas lost another two-point lead to a tie game at 19-19. Florida took the lead this time which prompted an Arkansas timeout. Florida cinched the second win with a 4-0 scoring run that consisted of a block by Carlton and Dooley and a final kill by Ceasar.
Set 3: 25-18 UF
Florida took an early and significant lead coming into the third set as they went up 6-1. The Gators strengthened their lead to 8-3 when Arkansas regained their traction and went on a 4-1 run. Florida answered this run by establishing a six-point lead at 12-6 and forcing an Arkansas timeout. This set began to resemble the first one as Florida solidified a strong lead as they went up 17-10. Arkansas finally called a timeout when the Gators went up 21-12. To no avail, Arkansas attempted to come back from their timeout strong as they lessened the lead to 23-17. However, a final kill by Ceasar gave the Gators their third win of the night and their second win over Arkansas.
Leaderboard
Kills
Ceasar, 12
Carlton, 11
Hall, 9
Aces
Ceasar, 1
Carlton, 1
Hammons, 1
Blocks
Forte, 5
Dooley, 5
Carlton, 4
Digs
McKissock, 12
Ceasar, 10
Monserez, 9
What’s Next?
The rescheduled two-part series with the Missouri Tigers is set to take place March 12 at 1 p.m. and March 13 at 4 p.m. in Gainesville. This series was originally scheduled for Feb. 6 and 7, but due to a positive COVID-19 result, it was rescheduled to these dates.
The No. 6 Gators overcame Stetson in a 19-7 monstrous win Saturday and further proved their fearsome power on the field. It makes for back-to-back wins after dominating Kennesaw State game Wednesday.
The Gators worked down the clock in the first half, scoring goals left and right almost every-other minute.
Senior midfielder Shannon Kavanagh opened the floor with a goal less than three minutes in. The human dynamo brought vigor to the field as she totaled five goals and eight shots. This makes for her fourth consecutive game with a hat trick.
Freshman attacker Maggi Hall drew presence on the field with two goals for a total of nine points for the season. Ranked as the No. 7 incoming freshman nationwide by Inside Lacrosse, Hall quickly gains traction in her first few games in a Gators uniform.
Florida brought the game 12-2 with two goals in the final two minutes of the first period by redshirt sophomore midfielder Paisley Eagan and freshman midfielder Ashley Gonzalez, respectively.
Aside from the pop shot to round out the first half, Eagan scored one more goal in the second half. She has a whopping eight points so far.
Gonzalez flourished as she made career-highs across the board. The midfielder got her first Gator hat trick and one assist for four points, more points than her previous three games combined. Her success affirms the anticipation in getting her on the team.
The second half saw a possible comeback from Stetson. The Hatters crept up with five goals but wasn’t strong enough to take down Florida’s force.
Goalkeeping steadied out the defense, as Sarah Reznick pulled in a great .500 save percentage. Freshman Julia Hammerschlag didn’t fall either, holding a .200 save percentage between five shots on goal.
Seven other Gators scored goals today: senior attacker Grace Haus, senior defender Kaitlyn Dabkowski, sophomore midfielder Shelton Sawers, freshman attacker Danielle Pavinelli and sophomore midfielder Emily Heller.
Freshmen attackers Liz Harrison and Janin Suris racked in their first career goals in the game.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js~first collegiate goal for @j9lax25~
— Gators Lacrosse (@GatorsLAX) March 6, 2021
Florida – 19 | Stetson – 7 #FLax #GoGators pic.twitter.com/hxQKNh8GTR
The second win in a row helps move the team away from their loss against North Carolina and towards fruitful success. Florida will test its talent in Jacksonville as they take on the 2-0 Jacksonville Dolphins March 13 at 1 p.m.
Contact Faith Buckley on Twitter @_faithbuckley
Due to an unfavorable forecast for Saturday, the Gators were thrust into playing a double-header against Florida A&M on Friday.
The Gators didn’t disappoint, sweeping the set and giving themselves an opportunity to sweep the series on Sunday.
Game One: Florida 10, FAMU 2
Following a lackluster effort in the midweek contest against Florida Atlantic, the Gators came out swinging on Friday.
Florida got on the scoreboard early as Jud Fabian scored on a Kirby McMullen single to right. The Rattlers tied it up in the second, but RHP Tommy Mace settled in from there.
Florida added to the scoreboard in the second (on a Jacob Young RBI single), fourth (wild pitch) and the fifth (2 RBI single by Cory Acton).
A solo homer by Octavien Moyer in the sixth closed the gap to 5-2, but the Gators responded with a run in the bottom of the sixth on McMullen’s sacrifice fly.
Freshman Colby Halter completed the scoring, connecting for a grand slam in the eighth. For Halter, it was his second homer of the season.
Mace tossed seven innings before turning it over to Franco Aleman. Aleman finished the game, throwing two inning and allowing two hits, but no runs scored and he didn’t walk anyone.
Pitching Decision
Game Two: Florida 5, Florida A&M 1
The Gators completed the double-header sweep with a 5-1 win and a gem from Jack Leftwich.
The offense got off to a slower start as it wasn’t until the third inning when Florida got on the scoreboard. Freshman Sterlin Thompson singled home Jud Fabian to put the home team on top 1-0. In all, the Gators would put a four spot up in the inning, which was more than enough for Florida’s talented righty on the mound.
Leftwich tossed eight innings and scattered four hits. He struck out a season high 8 batter and didn’t walk anyone. A solo homer in the seventh was the only blemish on his night.
Jordan Carrion drove in the final run with a single up the middle that scored Cory Acton.
Flamethrower Brandon Sproat finished the game, tossing the ninth allowing just a single runner on a one out walk.
Note: Jacob Young extended his hitting streak to 29 on Friday.
Pitching Decision:
The final meet of the regular season has arrived! Florida will take on the Crimson Tide tonight as it battles to claim the SEC regular season title outright and to notch a second consecutive undefeated regular season. It’s Alabama’s senior night in Tuscaloosa, so expect scores to fly high, but if anyone can pull off the win in Tide country, it’s this Gator team.
The Gators are ranked No. 1 in the nation on every single event and all around, and they have at least two individuals in the top 10 on every event as well. Super star Trinity Thomas is ranked No. 1 in the all-around, to no surprise. She’s also No. 3 on vault, No. 1 on bars and floor, and No. 4 on beam, and she’s joined by Savannah Schoenherr on vault (No. 8), Megan Skaggs on bars (No. 9), Ellie Lazzari (No. 3) and Alyssa Baumann (No. 10) on beam, and Nya Reed (No. 4) on floor. And if having six individuals with top ten rankings isn’t enough to prove this team’s dominance, how about a seventh just outside? Leah Clapper is No. 11 on beam as well – this team is top-notch.
But Alabama has been quietly cruising this season. Though they had their share of controversy over the summer, with allegations of racist behavior from the coaching staff and calls for head coach Dana Duckworth’s firing, the Crimson Tide have performed well this season. Ranked No. 7 on vault, No. 4 on bars and beam, and No. 10 on floor, the Tide rank No. 6 overall in the nation and have several individuals with strong showings as well. Sophomore Luisa Blanco is No. 4 in the nation in the all-around, with her NQS less than two tenths behind Thomas. She’s also tied for No. 4 on beam with Thomas, while classmate Makarri Doggette ranks No. 7 on bars and senior Lexi Graber holds the No. 8 slot on floor.
While statistically Florida has the advantage, anything can happen! It all starts in just a few minutes on SECN+ or the alternate SECN channel if you get it, but if you can’t tune in or go in person, you can follow along with us as we bring you every routine moment by moment.
8:34pm: Still have the stand by screen on SECN+. Wonder if Thomas’s injury is the holdup, they’ll have to change lineups really quickly.
8:35pm: Aha! Meet is on now. Showing footage of Thomas’s injury now… looks like came in really short on a bars dismount but she fell smart and doesn’t look like a major injury, since she’s up and walking on her own power.
8:36pm: Rotation one!
Adams, VT: FTY, a little loose in the air at the end, little hop back.
Richards, UB: big leg sep on Maloney. Bail is good. Last handstand looks okay? DLO, step forward on the landing.
8:38pm: Olsen, VT: DTY, comes in a little short and has to hop forward, chest down too. She’s cleaned up her legs a bit this year though!
Gallentine, UB: Great opening handstands, Maloney to pak is lovely. DLO, a little mushy knees, hop back. She’s getting some confidence back, love it.
8:40pm: Waligora, VT: Y1.5, pretty clean in the air! A little off to the side, crossover step forward.
Lazzari, UB: Great opening handstand! Tkachev is gorgeous. Pak just floats, glued those legs together. Last handstand had a little pike? Half in half out, little hop. She is THRIVING and I love to see it!
8:42pm: Blanco, VT: Y1.5, soooo pretty in the air. Stuck?? Looked stuck to me, maybe a little less control than I’d like but better than some “sticks.”
Skaggs, UB: Tkachev to pak, gorgeous. Good last handstand. DLO, little slide back.
8:44pm: Graber, VT: Y1.5, WOW! Huge distance, step forward. Pretty clean in the air too. \
Baumann, UB: From the commentary, it sounds like she was in the lineup tonight regardless of Thomas’s injury? And that Gallentine was the sub in. Jaeger is gorgeous, great amplitude. Next handstand a bit shy. Bail is good. DLO pinged off early and she takes it to her knees, hands down. Bummer for her, hopefully Schoenherr can pull it back.
8:46pm: Quinn, VT: Y1.5, really floaty, little hop on the landing. She’s patient with it, I like it.
Schoenherr, UB: Great first handstands, so aggressive. Jaeger just flooooats. Bail is solid. Great last handstand too! Double front half out! Chest up, looked like a little bounce in place? Maybe? I’m expecting that to be a great score for her though.
AFTER ONE: BAMA 49.3, UF 49.075
Baumann’s fall cost Florida a little bit, but they may be able to make it back up on vault if things go well.
8:56pm: Rotation two!
Foberg, VT: FTY, wow! Easily her best in a long time, so clean in the air, good height, and just a little hop in place on the landing.
Waligora, UB: Great first handstands. Jaeger, lost her swing there, has to recast to get to the bail. Not a great start for Bama. FTDLO dismount, little stutter step.
8:58pm: Lazzari, VT: FTY, STUCK! YES! That should be an excellent score!
Graber, UB: Gonna have to reset here. First handstand looked a little shy? Gienger, little leg sep on the catch. Bail is solid. GOod last handstands. Full in, tries to fake the stick but didn’t have control on the salute, takes a step out.
9:00pm: Skaggs, VT: FTY, weird leg sep in there for her. But she sticks it?? Yes she does!
Machado, UB: Maloney is okay, pak has a big leg sep, oof. Van Leeuwen looks good. Blind full to double tuck, little one foot slide?
9:02pm: Schoenherr, VT: Y1.5, it’s a big one! Little knees in the air. Hop forward, not great control when she salutes either.
Adams, UB: Great first handstand. Maloney and pak have her legs just glued together, van Leeuwen too! Wow, those are pretty! Blind full to double tuck dismount, looked stuck to me!
9:03pm: Reed, VT: Y1.5, gorgeous stretched position! Little hop forward on the landing. One of her better ones!
Blanco, UB: Great first handstand. Maloney and pak are just textbook. Lovely. Great final handstands. Full in is really high, little foot shuffle it looked like? Slow mo looks closer to a stick than in real time
9:05pm: Richards, VT: Just the FTY this week, little hop in place. Not the best way to close it out.
Doggette, UB: Tkachev to pak is huge! Has to recast on the low bar for some reason? Ahh, didn’t get up to handstand and had to try again. DLO is great. Alabama will have to count a miss! Oof.
AFTER TWO: BAMA 98.625, UF 98.475
Somehow Florida is still more than a tenth behind… but considering it’s the number one floor team in the country, I have every confidence that that gap will continue to close. Blanco will take the vault and bars titles. She also leads in the all-around, but Skaggs is behind her by less than a tenth.
Between rotations, commentator Kathy Johnson Clarke spoke to Thomas in a prerecorded interview. Thomas revealed that she and teammate Halley Taylor are working on a children’s book for young Gator fans! How cute!
9:13pm: Klopfer, BB: Single wolf turn, smooth, foot is flexed though? Front aerial to bhs, I guess that’s connected but I hate front to back series. Leap series is lovely. Cat leap to side aerial, super steady. She’s really grown into a gorgeous beamer over the years. Roundoff 1.5 hop forward.
9:15pm: Skaggs, FX: Love seeing her lead off in this rotation. Double wolf turn is nice and smooth. Rudi to split jump, travels a little in the air. Great split positions in her dance series. 1.5 to front lay to finish. Super clean, just lovely.
9:17pm: Waligora, BB: Full turn, excellent. Bhs loso, looked like she hesitated a little but landing doesn’t show it at all. Side aerial, great. Split to tuck jump full, check there. Roundoff 1.5, has to step back. Nerves getting to her.
9:19pm: Lazzari, FX: Bringing the drama and elegance in this opening, just gorgeous. Double pike to open, little bouncy on the landing. 1.5 to front lay to stag, lovely there. Dance series is great, maybe a little traveling? Double tuck to close, much better control. That should be another good one.
9:21pm: Adams, BB: Switch to front aerial, very nice. Bhs loso and she’s off! Oh boy. Door open. Triple wolf turn, bobbles a little but keeps it small. Switch to beat, nice. Bhs back 1.5, stuck! A good recovery, but that fall puts pressure on them.
9:23pm: Johnson-Scharpf, FX: Great to see her back! Double arabian looks just as great as earlier this season. 1.5 to front lay, has to whip it around and steps back but saves it somehow. Leap positions are great, to Shushunova, just loving the drama of this. Double tuck to finish, attacked it and came up strong! Well done.
9:25pm: Graber, BB: Bhs layout 2ft, so solid! I honestly love this routine, it’s so difficulty packed and she really attacks it. Switch to straddle 3/4, takes a second to secure herself. Cat leap to front aerial to scale, just gorgeous. Gainer full, chest a little forward and maybe kept the stick? Not well controlled though.
9:26pm: Richards, FX: DLO, little underrotated, covered well. 1.5 to front lay, no issue with that one, one step out to her choreo. A little crooked on her dance series and a lil outta control. Double tuck to close, great control there and height too!
9:28pm: Doggette, BB: Full turn to start is good. Bhs loso, steady. A little Single Ladies choreo in here, fun! Beat to switch half to another beat… I don’t buy that switch half angle personally but okay. Side aerial back full stuck!
9:30pm: Reed, FX: Here we gooo! DLO, SO well controlled, front foot doesn’t move an inch. Front lay to Rudi, great. Leap series was good, maybe saw her cringe on the wolf jump? Hope that’s just me seeing things. Double pike to close, she’s smiling already, YES she lands that so well. That should be a phenomenal score.
9:32pm: Blanco, BB: What an elegant back roll there to mount. Front aerial is great. Full turn, good. Bhs loso loso, legs wobbled but she doesn’t show it at all. Needle scale is gorgeous, what toe point!! Switch to beat, strong. Roundoff double full stuck! That should be a great score as well. Bama will get to drop their fall.
9:34pm: Baumann, FX: Double tuck to open is soooo high, great control too. 1.5 to front full, single step out into the choreo great. Leap series is GORGEOUS, just drool worthy. Double pike, just pops it into that lunge. That should be HUGE.
AFTER THREE: UF 148.0, ALA 147.95
Florida takes the lead with one to go!
Baumann leads on the floor with a huge 9.975, while Blanco has the mark to beat on beam with a 9.925.
9:43pm: Richards, BB: Full turn, little bounce but keeps control of it. Bhs loso loso, little lean but doesn’t bobble really. Leap series is good. Side aerial back full, stuck! A good start.
9:45pm: Mitchell, FX: Double pike to open is SUPER high, a little scoot though. Switch to two wolf jump fulls I believe, that’s different. Hits the whoa in the corner, that’s fun. Front through to double tuck, VERY deep on the landing but pulls it out somehow? Crazy. Good for her for saving that.
9:47pm: Skaggs, BB: Wolf turn, lovely. Switch to split, back leg is hard to see from this angle but looked good to me. Bhs loso, solid. Front aerial, waits to settle in. Cat leap switch side, gorgeous. Side aerial back full, stuck! Another great one for Skaggs.
9:49pm: Gaskins, FX: DLO, takes it riiiight to the line but I didn’t see a flag. Y turn to wolf full, wow! That’s some difficulty. Switch to switch half, great split positions. Front through to double tuck, short there. Fun country choreo into a series of pique turns, really showing off her dance training. That’s a fun one!
9:51pm: Lazzari, BB: Bhs loso loso, gorgeous. Switch to split, great positions. Full turn is solid. Side aerial back full, little slide back. Won’t be a 10 but it is COMING, I can feel it (and so can HC Jenny Rowland – she said so in press earlier this week!)
9:52pm: Olsen, FX: Double double, really low and kinda crunchy on the ankles. That used to be a lot prettier, what happened? Switch through to tour jete half and split full I believe, looked nice to me but not Kathy’s favorite, ha. Front through to double tuck, looked a little short there too but masked it much better.
9:54pm: Baumann, BB: Bhs loso, so steady. Switch to split, gorgeous extension. Front aerial, floaty and elegant. Full turn is great. Switch half looked good this week, maybe not as good as last week. Roundoff 1.5, single step back. Another great one for the Gators!
9:56pm: Klopfer, FX: Love her getting the call on her senior night! Double tuck to open, great control, good amplitude. Dance series looked good, maybe some flexed foot in the first split. Combo pass is great, well controlled out of it. Fun choreo with her team on the sideline there, love that! Double pike to close, and she’s so pumped as she finishes. Happy for her.
9:58pm: Clapper, BB: Bhs loso loso, gorgeous. She’s just dancing her way through this routine, love it. Switch to split, maybe a little tight in those positions. Side aerial back full, maybe stuck? She’s become such a staple here, so proud of her.
10:00pm: Blanco, FX: Double pike, sooo high but a little slide back of the front foot. Switch ring is gorgeous, rest of the dance positions are lovely too. Double tuck is great as well, better control there. Front full to front lay, a little whippy but should be a good score overall.
10:02pm: Schoenherr, BB: Schoenherr on beam!!! Ahh! Front aerial, gorgeous. Bhs loso, so solid. Good for her! Full turn, interesting technique but it’s steady and elegant. Split to split 3/4, good positions. Roundoff 1.5, small hop. They’re all so excited for her!!
10:04pm: Graber, FX: This should be a treat, y’all. Full in, gets such great amplitude. Looked like a little stumble between dance elements but she covered well if it was and quickly kept going. Front through to double pike, great there too. What a great final performance for her at home!
FINAL: UF 197.425, BAMA 197.225
Florida will take the win!
Blanco also nabs a share of the beam title, tying with Skaggs with a 9.925. And Baumann and Graber tie for 9.975 for the floor title. Blanco also takes the AA title with a massive 39.7!
Florida is once again undefeated in the regular season! And the Gators win their second consecutive SEC regular season title outright. What a dominant season this team is having – and it continues in two weeks back in Alabama, this time in Huntsville for the SEC Championships. Join us back here then for the beginning of postseason – until then, make sure you’re following @chomptalk on Twitter and me, @mycluttereddesk, and go Gators!
The No. 8 Florida Gators added another clean sweep to their Spring season as they topped the Arkansas Razorbacks 3-0 on Friday. Florida advances to a 13-2 overall record. The Razorbacks put up a fight against the Gators as there was plenty of toe-to-toe action between the two teams throughout the three sets. However, the Gators outmatched the Razorbacks with a quick offense and a sturdy defense that gave them the sweep.
How it happened
Set 1: 25-16 UF
The start of the first set saw mostly back-and-forth action between Florida and Arkansas with neither team holding a significant edge over the other. Florida began to pull away from Arkansas with a score of 15-11, and it forced a timeout. Arkansas came back from the timeout strong as they attempted to diminish Florida’s lead. However, a successful touch challenge by Florida set them back again. Florida began to pull even further away with a monumental run that put them up 22-15 over the Razorbacks. Florida finished the set with three consecutive points that gave them their first set win of the evening.
Set 2: 25-19 UF
As the two teams came back in play, Florida and Arkansas returned with the same toe-to-toe action that was seen in the beginning of the first set. The teams were tied up 5-5 until Arkansas gained the slight edge with three consecutive points that put them just ahead. Florida regained their ground as they slowly worked to tick away Arkansas’ lead and tie up the game again at 11-11. Arkansas pulled out of this tie with the slight advantage 15-12, causing a timeout. Florida began to reduce Arkansas’ lead until the Gators pulled ahead slightly 17-16, forcing an Arkansas timeout. Florida came back strong, pulling ahead 22-19. The Gators finished out the set with three consecutive points to claim another win.
Set 3: 25-21 UF
In a similar fashion to the other two sets of the evening, the third set began with equal action by both teams. The score was tied up at 7-7, until the Gators began to pull ahead slightly. Arkansas regained their ground and tied the game back up at 10-10. The roles reversed as the Razorbacks took a small edge, and the Gators worked to catch back up. Arkansas won a touch challenge that set the Gators back again, and it caused a timeout. Florida came back out of the timeout strong to not only tie the game up, but to also take the lead 19-17 and to force an Arkansas timeout. The Gators held their lead coming out of the timeout. However, Arkansas frantically worked to catch up, but the Gators solidified their win with an impressive three final kills.
Leaderboard
Kills
Hall, 16
Carlton, 9
Ceasar, 8
Monserez, 5
Aces
Hall, 2
Ceasar, 1
Hammock, 1
McKissock, 1
Blocks
Dooley, 8
Carlton, 5
Monserez, 4
Digs
McKissock, 16
Monserez, 12
Hal1, 8
Ceasar, 5
What’s Next?
The Gators return to the O’Connell Center March 5 at 6 p.m. to once again take on the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Following a 6-2 win against New Mexico State Wednesday, the No. 5 Gators shutout in-state rival No. 16 Florida State 5-0 Friday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium to wrap up a 12-game homestand.
Florida right-hander Elizabeth Hightower faced only 25 batters en route to her third complete game and second shutout of the season. The junior Monticello, Florida native becomes just the fourth pitcher in the nation and to eclipse six wins this season as she improves to 7-0.
A pair of home runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings lifted Florida to 14-0 overall — its hottest start since 2016 when the Gators won their first 26 games.
After three scoreless frames, junior third baseman Charla Echols hit a solo shot — her team-leading third dinger — before designated hitter Kendyl Lindaman smacked a three-run bomb into the bullpen in left an inning later to open up a 4-0 Florida advantage.
Hightower hurled a no-hitter until the sixth frame when Seminole second baseman Devyn Flaherty poked a single through the left side of the infield. Florida State managed to get runners in scoring position, but Gator fifth-year senior Jamie Hoover made an impressive sliding catch in shallow left field to to escape the jam and salvage the shutout.
Following a trio of Florida walks in the bottom of the sixth, center fielder Cheyenne Lindsey extended the lead to six on a two-out RBI-single.
In the top of the seventh, Hightower took the circle one last time. After generating back-to-back flyouts to left field, she surrendered a walk before a groundout completed her complete-game gem.
No. 16 FSU: 0-1-0
No. 5 UF: 5-5-0
Win: Hightower (7-0)
Loss: Arnold (3-2)
RHP Hightower: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (0.69/0.59 season ERA/WHIP)
DH Lindaman: 1-2, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR (2), 1 BB (.297/.458/.568 season slash line)
3B Echols: 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR (3), 1 BB (.400/.490/.775)
CF Lindsey: 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI (.474/.500/.711)
The in-state rivals will travel west to Tallahassee for a rematch Saturday night at 6.
After a pair of Florida free throws tied the game at 70 with 18 seconds to go, Missouri guard Dru Smith received the ball at the wing with one last chance to lift the Tigers to victory before overtime.
In Florida’s final home game, Smith kept fans on the edge of their seats until the clock read four seconds. He drove baseline on his defender, guard Tre Mann, in hopes of getting the hoop and draining Florida’s second-half momentum. A quick first step allowed the redshirt senior guard to sneak past Mann and sink a reverse layup with 0.7 seconds left to clinch Missouri’s first ever win in Gainesville.
“I saw [Colin] Castleton step up and obviously he’s big guy, . . . so I decided to go to the other side and just hope [Anthony] Duruji didn’t get it,” Smith said.
Smith, who averages 14 points and four assists, led the Tigers with 17 and nine in 37 playing minutes.
After the game, Florida head coach Mike White called Smith a “really good player, . . . really smart, really crafty, tough as nails.”
Despite outshooting the Tigers by 12% from the floor and 19% from the line, Florida failed to make up for its costly turnovers. 15 first-half turnovers led to 20 of Missouri’s 36 first-half points and granted Mizzou a seven-point advantage at halftime. Florida guard Tyree Appleby committed five turnovers for the fourth time in his past five games.
“It’s hard to overcome when you have 15 [turnovers] in the first half,” Florida guard Tre Mann said. “We’ve just got to clean that stuff up.” Taking care of the basketball is a recurring issue for the Gators as they rank outside the top-250 in the nation turnovers per game (14.7).
Missouri capitalized on timely threes in the opening half. The Tigers, who shoot just 32% from three-point range, shot 5-10 from beyond the arc in the first half after junior guard Xavier Pinson hit back-to-back threes just before halftime.
“We all struggled covering the terrific spacing that they execute,” White said. “They really had us rotating and working. . . . I’m sure they got to our legs to a certain extent.”
White mentioned how fouls continue to haunt Florida, explaining how the Gators lacked foul discipline and jumped at too many shot fakes around the rim. “We’ve got to mature and there’s not a lot of time left,” White said. We’ve got to play with emotion but not be emotional.”
Mann, who was named SEC Player of the Week Monday, shot over 80% from the field en route to a season-high nine baskets. The sophomore Gainesville native led the Gators with his second-straight 21-point outing. “Tre [Mann] played with great activity,” White said. “He went 9-11 against a team that’s a great defensive program.”
The Gators will head to Knoxville, Tennessee, for a pivotal regular season-finale Saturday against the Vols. The winner of the matchup will clinch a two-round bye in the SEC Tournament. “We’re tough mentally and physically, but we’ve got to finish games better if we want to make a big run in March,” Mann said. Tip-off at Thompson-Boling Arena is scheduled for noon and will air on ESPNU.
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