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Around the Diamond: Can Echols actually replace Lorenz?

February 17, 2020

Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com

Charla Echols came to Florida with high expectations.

The sophomore third baseman transferred from Michigan State immediately after leading the Spartans in on-base percentage (.456), hits (45) and runs (31) in 2019. And she came to Gainesville to help the Gators recover from a huge loss.

UF lost one of the best pure hitters in program history in Amanda Lorenz, and the question of how her production could be replaced likely burdened Coach Tim Walton for many moons.

However, 12 games into the 2020 season, Walton may have found a simple answer in Echols.

The Newman, Georgia, native has been locked in since her first at-bat as a Gator, when she smoked a two-RBI double against Illinois State on Feb. 7. And to this point, her production actually meets or exceeds that of Lorenz through 12 games in 2019.

Echols holds a .500 batting average (18 for 36) and a .548 on-base percentage, has clobbered four home runs and 18 RBIs and has scored 12 runs.

During her first 12 games last season, Lorenz batted .459 (17 for 37) with an on-base percentage of .556, belted three home runs and 12 RBIs and scored 13 runs.

Echols has already shown great improvement from this season to last, as she held a .344 batting average at Michigan State and had six homers and 25 RBIs in 45 games.

She may exceed those numbers before the Gators even begin SEC play.

Current Record: 11-1 (ranked No. 8)

Last Week (Monday-Sunday):
6-0 at Bubly Invitational

W 10-2 vs. North Florida (Wednesday)
W 5-0 vs. North Dakota State (Friday)
W 9-0 vs. Longwood (Friday)
W vs. 1-0 North Dakota State (Saturday)
W vs. 11-0 Longwood (Saturday)
W vs. 13-1 vs. Southeastern Louisiana (Sunday)
W vs. 2-1 vs. Florida A&M (Sunday)

Offensive Player of the Week: Hannah Adams

As good of a start as it has been for Echols, Adams went on an absolute tear from the leadoff spot in Week 2. The junior second baseman held a .526 batting average (10 for 19) and .625 on-base percentage (five walks) in UF’s seven contests. She also had four RBIs including a critical home run in the third inning against FAMU.

Pitcher of the Week: Natalie Lugo

Lugo picked up two wins and a save over three appearances and 13.0 innings of action.

She didn’t allow a single run and relinquished just two hits and three walks while she struck out 17. The junior right-hander improved to 4-1 after a complete-game shutout against North Dakota State on Saturday.

Upcoming Games:

Home vs. Jacksonville (Wednesday, 6 p.m.)

Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic (Palm Springs, California):
Neutral vs. No. 4 Arizona (Friday, 3:30 p.m. EST)
Neutral vs. Northwestern (Friday, 6 p.m. EST)
Neutral vs. No. 23 Arizona State (Saturday, 5:30 p.m.
Neutral vs. No. 2 UCLA (Saturday, 8:30 p.m. EST)
Neutral vs. Nebraska (Sunday, 12 p.m. EST)

The Gators will have a difficult slate in California, the home state of Lugo, shortstop Sophia Reynoso and utility player Jordan Matthews. They will face two top-five opponents in No. 4 Arizona and No. 2 UCLA, the reigning WCWS Champion.

Mark Stine is a contributing writer for Chomp Talk. Follow him on Twitter @mstinejr.
WBB: Gators defeat Mizzou on road

February 16, 2020

Final: Florida 75, Missouri 67

Photo by Kristen Oliff / ChompTalk.com

Columbia, MO- The Florida Gators defeated the Missouri Tigers at Mizzou Arena for the first time in program history on Sunday. Freshman Brylee Bartram led the team with a career-high 18 points.

Florida’s 36-29 lead at the end of the first half was a team effort; seven of the nine players who got minutes put points on the board. Bartram shot 50% from the arc, contributing twelve of those points.

The Gators led by as many as 19 points in the fourth quarter, but the Tigers fought back late. Missouri’s freshman guard Aijha Blackwell scored 14 of the team’s 38 second-half points. The Tigers outscored the Gators 29-21 in the fourth stanza, but in the end, it was not enough to complete the comeback.

Florida senior Zada Williams finished with her sixth double-double of the season, and her third in the last four games. The Gators connected on a season-high (on the road) 12 three-pointers, with half of those coming from Bartram.

The Gators are 14-11 overall and boast a 5-7 conference record. The five wins represent the most the team has had since 2016, and the most conference road wins (Auburn, Kentucky, Missouri) in three years.

Individual Stats:
Brylee Bartram: Career-high 18 points, 6-11 3FG
Lavender Briggs: 18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists
Zada Williams: 15 points, 6-9 FT, 3-4 FT, 12 rebounds
Ariel Johnson: 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
Kiki Smith: 5 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

Team Stats:

FG% : 40.4
3FG% : 34.8
FT% : 68
Reb+/- : +10
Assists: 12
TO: 19
Bench Points: 29

What’s Next:

Florida will travel to Tuscaloosa to face the Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday. Alabama matches Florida with a 14-11 overall record but is just 4-8 in SEC action.
BSB: Florida completes sweep with 15-8 win over Marshall

February 16, 2020

Photo by Kristen Oliff / ChompTalk.com
The Florida Gators completed the sweep against the Marshall Thundering Herd thanks to their offense. Florida’s offense scored fifteen runs on fifteen hits. The top of the order had a terrific game as they each had at least two hits.

Senior Austin Langworthy hadn’t recorded a hit in the first two games but went 3-4 in the series finale. Kirby McMullen continues to impress at the plate with a 3-4 day including two RBIs. Sophomore Christian Scott didn’t get the start but earned his first win of the season out of the bullpen.

Game Summary

It was a busy and long first inning for both sides as they both scored a pair runs. Marshall’s Geordon Blanton led things off with a single to left field and stole second. Zach Inskeep would also single to left and Blanton advanced to third. With two outs, Jordan Billups double to right center driving in both runners.

Florida would answer back with a leadoff single by Jud Fabian. Austin Langworthy would tie the game up with a deep home run to right field in the next at-bat.

The second inning was another big inning for the Thundering Herd. Marshall led the inning a single up the middle. Brady Garrison would also single making it runners on first and second. Once again, two on and two outs, Marshall’s leadoff hitter Blanton hit a three-run home run to left field making it 5-2.

Florida would cut into Marshall’s lead with two walks by Jordan Butler and Nathan Hickey to lead off the inning. Brady Smith followed by reaching on a RBI fielder’s choice scoring Butler.

Sophomore pitcher Christian Scott came in the game to replace Nick Pogue who gave up five runs in two innings.

After a scoreless inning from Marshall, the Gators would tie the game up at five. Langworthy led off with a single to right field. Kirby McMullen doubled down the left field line bringing in Langworthy. Coy Acton recorded his first hit of the game as he singled through the right side. Jacob Young would hit a sacrifice fly to center bringing in the tying run.

The fourth inning was a big inning for the Florida. Brady Smith gave Florida the lead with a solo home run to deep left field. Fabian, Langworthy and McMullen would all reach on walks. With Acton at the plate, Marshall’s pitcher D’Andre Knight balked bringing in Fabian. Acton would eventually walk and that’s when things got weird. Florida would score two runs on back to back pitches thanks to a wild pitch and passed ball.

With two outs in the top of the fifth inning, Scott was pulled from the game but did enough to earn the win. Scott threw 2.2 innings allowing two hits, no runs, two walks and three strikeouts.

Florida also plated two in the bottom half of the fifth. Florida’s first two batters were out but Fabian got the rally started with a double down the left field line. Langworthy would then line one for the shortstop’s glove and Fabian score. McMullen would follow that up with a single of his own that would bring in Langworthy.

Marshall would cut into Florida’s lead as they scored three in the top of the sixth. However, the Gators would get those runs back with a two out three-run home run by Brady Smith. It was his second home run of the game.

Florida would add an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh with an opposite field solo home run by Cory Acton.

Left-handed pitcher Ryan Cabarcas would make his collegiate debut in the middle of the eighth. He gave up a hit to his first batter but would strike out the next two batters he faced. Another highly touted freshman made his debut this weekend was Tyler Nesbitt. The LaBelle graduate would only throw nine pitches to shut the door.

What’s next?

The Florida Gators will take a day off before their next game. The Gators will travel to Jacksonville, Florida to take on the Jacksonville Dolphins. No starting pitchers have been announced for this game. Jacksonville is coming off a 1-2 weekend series loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers. You can watch this game on Tuesday at 6 pm ET on ESPN+.
SB: Gators wrap up Bubly Invitational with pair of victories

February 16, 2020
Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com

Gainesville, FL- Florida wrapped up the Bubly Invitational on Sunday with their third doubleheader in three days. The Gators defeated both Southeastern Louisiana and Florida A&M by scores of 13-1 (5 innings) and 2-1, respectively. Florida finished the weekend with the best record among the five competing teams at 6-0. North Dakota State and Southeastern Louisiana both finished 3-2, while Longwood went 1-4 and Florida A&M went 0-5.

Game 1

Final: Florida 13, Southeastern Louisiana 1 (5)

Win: Rylee Trlicek (4-0)

Loss: Shelby Sitzman (0-1)

Game Recap

Southeastern Louisiana really struggled in the circle as the Lions went through seven different pitchers in just five innings. Starting pitcher, Shelby Sitzman, had a rough outing, allowing 8 earned runs on six hits and two walks in only two-thirds of an inning.

The hit parade continued for the Gators as they added two runs in the third and three more in the fourth. Four different Florida players had multiple-hit games while ten different players scored at least once.

Sophomore transfer, Charla Echols, went 4-4 with 3 RBIs to extend her season total to a team-leading 18. When asked after the game about her first weekend series at KSP Stadium, Echols said, “it was a lot of fun”, crediting the fans for being “amazing.” Leadoff hitter, Hannah Adams, went 3-4 and designated player, Jordan Roberts, went 2-3 with a pair of doubles and 4 RBIs.

Freshman left-hander, Rylee Trlicek, earned her fourth win of the season, allowing no runs on five hits and three strikeouts in three innings pitched. Danni Farley took the circle in the fourth but was yanked after facing just three batters, one of which roped a solo home run to left-center. Katie Chronister came in for relief and closed out the rest of the game without giving up any hits.

Game 2

Final: Florida 2, Florida A&M 1

Win: Elizabeth Hightower (3-0)

Loss: Nadia Zenteno (0-3)

Save: Natalie Lugo (2)

Game Recap

After allowing a lead-off home run to Jamesia Stoudemire, Elizabeth Hightower settled in nicely for Florida. The sophomore right-hander lasted four innings, giving up one earned run on two hits, one walk and six strikeouts.

Natalie Lugo came in for relief in the fifth inning and threw three scoreless innings while striking out five Rattlers to pick up her second save of the season.

Florida’s offense got out to a sluggish start, but the Gators woke up in the third inning when Hannah Adams hit a lead-off home run to right field. Several batters later, Jordan Roberts drove in her fifth run of the day on a single up the middle to give Florida a 2-1 lead. Florida would maintain that lead for the remainder of the game.

Despite earning the loss, Rattlers starting pitcher, Nadia Zenteno, pitched a complete game while allowing two earned runs on six hits and three walks. Florida made plenty of solid contact, however, striking out zero times.

Notable Stats:
- Kendyl Lindaman extends her hitting streak to 11 games
- Rylee Trlicek has a perfect 4-0 record to begin her career as a Gator
- Charla Echols went 5-7 on the day with 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored
- Florida left a combined 16 runners on base
- Florida struck out a combined 15 batters, while only striking out themselves 3 times
Looking Ahead

Florida plays one more home game on Wednesday against Jacksonville before traveling across the country to Palm Springs, California, for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic next weekend.

There, the Gators will face several tough opponents including Arizona, Northwestern, Arizona State, UCLA and Nebraska. When asked about the transition from playing less skilled opponents this weekend to facing higher skilled opponents next weekend, Florida head coach, Tim Walton, said he thinks the Gators will have no problem “adjust[ing] back to where [they] need to be for next weekend.” Walton went on to mention how the “key is for [Florida’s] pitchers to keep the opponent to under two runs.”
BSB: Florida clinches series with 10-0 win over Marshall

February 16, 2020

Photo by Kristen Oliff / ChompTalk.com
The Florida Gators were back in the win column Saturday night with a shutout victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd.

Florida’s starting pitcher Jack Leftwich had a great performance as he earned his first win of the season. There wasn’t much offense for the Gators early on the in the ballgame but that all changed in the seventh inning.

The Gators put up five runs in the bottom of the seventh including an opposite field home run from one of their top hitters. The Marshall Thundering Herd didn’t help themselves as they walked thirteen Gators in the game. Two highly touted freshmen also came in relief and did not disappoint in their outings.

Game Summary

It was a quiet first three innings as there wasn’t much offense coming from eitheir side. Florida changed that as they scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The inning started with two straight walks drawn by Kirby McMullen and Cory Acton. The next hitter, Kendrick Calilao doubled down the left field line, bringing in both. Calilao would later move to third on a groundout and score on a wild pitch.

The fifth inning was also very kind to the Gators as they added two more runs to the scoreboard, making it 5-0. Jud Fabian led off the inning with a four pitch walk and then scored on a RBI double by McMullen. The bases were loaded for freshman Josh Rivera after Acton and Kris Armstrong both walked in the previous at bats. Rivera worked the count full and was able to draw the RBI walk.

After six strong innings, Jack Leftwich was pulled from the game and was in line for the win. Leftwich threw six innings allowing three hits, no runs, no walks and eight strikeouts.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher David Luethje would come on in relief and throw a perfect seventh inning not allowing a hit, run or walk. He would record one strikeout in his quick appearance.

In the bottom of the seventh, Florida broke the game wide open. It started off with back-to-back walks from Armstrong and Rivera. Junior catcher Cal Greenfield would then single up the middle bringing in Armstrong to make it 6-0. Sophomore outfielder Jacob Young would also hit a single into centerfield to drive in Rivera.

With runners on first and second, Fabian drove an opposite field three-run home run off the scoreboard in right field.

Florida Gators head coach Kevin O’Sullivan shared his thoughts on Fabian’s homer. “To stay on a slider like that and to drive it that way, you don’t see that very often. Very few guys can do that. He’s extremely talented. He had some tough at bats today early on. That just shows you his maturity level, his mental game.”

After the big inning, O’Sullivan sent out his top freshman pitcher in Hunter Barco. The former Perfect Game All-American had a very quick inning as he retired the side on just four pitches.

Another top freshman arm came in the top of the ninth to end the game. Right-handed pitcher Brandon Sproat came in and was impressive, to say the least. In his one inning of work, Sproat was sitting 94-96 mph and topped out at 98. He would walk two batters in his outing but also struck out the side.

What’s next?

The Florida Gators will look to complete the sweep against the Marshall Thundering Herd with a win Sunday afternoon. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Nick Pogue will be on the mound for the Florida Gators. Junior right-handed pitcher Jeffrey Purnell will get the start for the Marshall Thundering Herd. You can watch this game Sunday afternoon at 1 pm ET on the SEC Network+.
MBB: Florida routs Vanderbilt as Billy Donovan returns to Gainesville

February 15, 2020

Final: Florida 84, Vanderbilt 66

Florida came back home to take on Vanderbilt after a 17 point rout of Texas A&M on the road earlier this week.

After the rollercoaster of the year, Florida looks to have gained some traction late in the season as they make a push towards March Madness.

On a night littered with NBA players and the Gator legendary coach Billy Donovan (back for the first time since taking the Oklahoma City job) getting his name on the floor, Florida beat Vanderbilt for the second time in two weeks.

How it happened:

After a quick start the Gators lead 5-2 before both teams hit a scoring drought, Vanderbilt starting 1-5 from the field and Florida didn’t make a field goal starting at the 18:00 mark left in the half. This continued until the both teams broke this drought coming out of the media break. Florida pushed the lead to 13-5 with a 7-0 run over the next three minutes.

A whistle happy crew had both teams in the bonus before the midway point of the first half. Andrew Nembhard and Keyontae Johnson were both glued to the bench after picking up their second fouls early on. After a couple of buckets by both teams Vanderbilt hit a drought while Florida kept pushing extending the lead to 11 (22-11).

Back to back triples put Florida in the drivers seat early, followed up by a big time slam dunk by freshman Omar Payne. Noah Locke added another three and Florida lead 34-13 with five minutes to play.

A block by Scottie Lewis led to Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse losing his mind and receiving a double technical foul and earning an ejected with 22.6 left in the first half. Lewis hit all four of the accompanying free throws. Tre Mann then hit another triple as time expires to go up 48-19 at the half.

Florida was red hot to end the half, including a 7-0 run in the last 22 seconds. Florida shot 52% from the field and 58% from downtown, add in 15 free throws (71%, 15-21). Vanderbilt on the other hand shot just 22% from the field and did not hit a deep ball in the first half. Twenty six total foul calls were called n the first half of the game.

Vanderbilt hit two quick buckets at the start of the second forcing a Gator timeout. Vanderbilt added two 3’s to their score as Florida lead 56-29 at the first media timeout of the second half. Florida went on an 8-0 run over the span of four minutes to hold a 29 point lead with 10:00 to go.

Not too much happened in the last ten minutes as Florida dominated baseline to baseline from the tip. On a night that will be remembered for a long time in Gainesville, the Gators finally lived up to the preseason hype.

A historic day in Florida sports history as the Gators managed wins in Lacrosse (beat #1 ranked Maryland 15-14), softball, and baseball.

Quick stats:

Johnson: 11 points, 3 assists, 6 rebounds

Locke: 19 points, 6 rebounds

Nembhard: 5 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound

Blackshear: 15 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds

Lewis: 9 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds

Fast facts:

FG: 52%

3FG: 50%

FT: 67%

Rebounds +/-: +1

Turnovers: 14

Up next:

Florida will take on Arkansas at home on Tuesday looking to keep things rolling.
LAX: Gators upset No. 1 Maryland in College Park, MD

February 15, 2020

Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com

The No. 14 Gators traveled nearly 800 miles to face a Goliath.

Armed with a mere 0-5 all-time record against No. 1 Maryland, Florida aimed to topple a giant 86-consecutive home victories tall.

While the team was acutely aware of what they would be facing this weekend, junior defender Kaitlyn Dabowski iterated her belief that the squad could hang with the

“Rankings always matter to an extent,” the junior said. “They’re coming off another national championship last year, so obviously they’re such a talented team…it’s just going to be a great fight for both of us as long as we come out strong.”

And that it did.

Florida (2-0) defeated the defending national champion Maryland (1-1), 15-14.

After Terps attacker Kali Hartshorn scored a goal within the first minute of the first half, Shannon Kavanagh quickly answered with one of her own. This would be her first of many in College Park, Maryland, despite having none in the same match up last season.

“Shannon just did what Shannon does,” coach Amanda O’Leary said abot the junior captain.

Kavanagh made her case for the Tewaarton Award with a career-high eight goals on 13 shots. The watchlist, which was announced Thursday, included Kavanagh and senior captain Cara Trombetta. This is both athletes’ second consecutive nomination.

Sarah Reznick also had a career-high today, recording 14 saves in the cage against the defending national champions.

“In my opinion, she’s one of the best goalies in the country,” O’Leary said about the redshirt freshman’s performance in her second start. “It’s fun to see her come out on a game field and play on that level because that’s what she does everyday in practice.”

Brianna Harris and Emerson Cabrera each had a hat trick. It was Harris’ second of the season, after scoring five goals against No. 18 Colorado in Gainesville last week and Cabrera’s first of her collegiate career.

“(I’m) just really, really proud of this team and the effort that they’ve put in,” O’Leary said. “This is a culmination of what we do in the weight room, what we do in the classroom, what we do on the conditioning field and obviously the work that we put in at practice.”

The Gators will take on their third ranked opponent in No. 11 Loyola at Donald R. Dizney Stadium next Saturday.

“We still have a ton of work to do,” O’Leary said on what lies ahead for her team. “This is the second game of the season. We have a top 10 schedule…So, yes, it’s exciting. We’re going to celebrate this victory. But, come Monday, we’re going to be back to business.”
SB: Gators record fourth straight shutout; sweep day two of Bubly Invitational

February 15, 2020
Gainesville, FL – Florida swept day two of the Bubly Invitational, defeating both North Dakota State and Longwood for the second day in a row.

The Bison entered with a 2-1 record, having lost to Florida yesterday by a score of 5-0, while Longwood entered its matchup with a 1-1 record after being run-ruled by the Gators last night.

In the first of a double-header, Florida snuck past North Dakota State by a score 1-0 on a walk-off in the seventh inning. In the second matchup, the Gators run-ruled Longwood by a score of 11-0 to record their fourth shutout of the weekend.

Game 1

Final: Florida 1, North Dakota State 0

Win: Natalie Lugo (4-1)

Loss: Paige Vargas (2-2)

Game Recap

Paige Vargas and Natalie Lugo had a pitching duel going until the bottom of the seventh when Florida’s offense finally delivered. Jade Caraway led off the inning with an infield single and then advanced to second base on Hannah Sipos’ sacrifice bunt. With two outs leadoff hitter, Hannah Adams, delivered in the clutch as she knocked a walk-off single into left field to bring home Caraway.

Natalie Lugo recorded her fourth win of the season, throwing a 2-hit complete game shutout while striking out 7 batters. Lugo improved her ERA to a team-low 1.33. As for the Bison, Paige Vargas pitched an impressive outing against a formidable Florida offense. Vargas allowed just 1 earned run on 5 hits and 3 walks in 6.2 innings pitched.

Game 2

Final: Florida 11, Longwood 0 (5)

Win: Elizabeth Hightower (2-0)

Loss: Arleigh Wood (1-2)

Game Recap

After a sluggish offensive performance in the first game, Florida’s bats woke up against Longwood early on. In the first inning, the Gators notched three runs on four hits. Hannah Adams led off with an infield single and later scored on Julia Cottrill’s single to left field. One batter later, Jordan Roberts drove in two runs on a single to centerfield.

In the bottom of the fourth, Florida quickly loaded the bases and proceeded to hit three consecutive RBI-singles followed by a sacrifice fly. The hit parade continued when freshman right fielder, Baylee Goddard, stroked a 3-run opposite field home run to extend Florida’s lead to 11-0. After the game, Florida head coach, Tim Walton, commented on Goddard’s strong approach and work ethic, assuring she is “going to be very, very dangerous” as she gains experience.

The lead gave the Gators some breathing room and put the 8-run rule in effect. In the top half of the fifth, Florida finished off Longwood in 1-2-3 order to secure the 11-0 win.

Florida starting pitcher, Elizabeth Hightower, dealt 5 solid innings, striking out 8 batters en route to a 1-hit complete game shutout. Hightower was only the second pitcher the Gators used all day, which should keep the rest of the pitching staff well-rested for tomorrow’s double-header.

Notable Stats:
- Florida now holds a combined 18-0 record versus NDSU and Longwood
- Kendyl Lindaman extends her hitting streak to 9 games
- Elizabeth Hightower struck out 8 of 17 batters faced
- Florida currently has 5 players hitting .400 or better (Adams, Echols, Goddard, Cottrill, Lindsey)
Looking Ahead

The Gators will wrap up the weekend tomorrow with yet another double-header. They’ll take on Southeastern Louisiana at 11:30 AM and Florida A&M at 2 PM. Florida still holds the best record among the Bubly Invitational contestants at 4-0. Meanwhile, NDSU drops to 2-2, Longwood and Southeastern Louisiana are tied at 1-2, and Florida A&M sits in last place at 0-3.
WGYM: Florida Soars in Win at Auburn

February 15, 2020

Last night, the Lady Gators took down another SEC opponent in the No. 17 Auburn Tigers in the face of a somewhat hostile away crowd. Vault and floor mainstay Nya Reed was still out sick, but because of their depth, the Gators continued their high scoring streak, turning in an enormous 197.875 in an away meet, which will put them in a great position for RQS, which is coming in just a week or two.

Since they were the visiting team, the Gators started on bars, leading off with Payton Richards as usual. She earned a 9.85, and the squad kept building from there, with each subsequent gymnast earning higher and higher scores. Trinity Thomas was again the event winner, earning a huge 9.95, and Savannah Schoenherr was also a highlight with a 9.9. Both are focusing in on their detail work, ensuring their legs are always glued together and their handstands are perfectly on top of the bar. Getting the rest of the bars team to that point will help up the overall event score, but a 49.45 total for the event is nothing to scoff at. That’s a solid score that will get this team right where they need to be for postseason. While Florida was hitting bars, Auburn was struggling with landings on vault, with some gymnasts underrotating their vaults while others overcooked theirs abd bounded forward. Its only gymnast to go above 9.9 was Gracie Day, with a rare stick on her Y1.5 for a 9.925.

Rotation two brought Florida to vault, where it has had some trouble with landings so far this season. In addition to Reed’s absence, Alyssa Baumann was also rested on vault this week, so that brought the opportunity for Jazmyn Foberg, Megan Skaggs, and Sierra Alexander to all make the lineup at the same time. While this did mean that only three of the six had 10.0 start values, the team still showed several strong vaults. Alexander really made her case for her inclusion, with her Yurchenko full soaring nearly six feet in the air, landing a full nine feet from the vault table, and finally sticking it absolutely cold. Schoenherr struggled, underrotating her Y1.5 just a bit, having to step back to steady herself. Thomas righted the ship, with a short bound on her landing for a 9.875, and then Richards anchored with a huge, nearly stuck Y1.5 for a 9.95. If Alexander and Richards can spread their landing mojo to the rest of the squad, that’s what will bring the rest of those scores from good to great. Vault is definitely Florida’s weakest event right now, and in the battle between it and Oklahoma for the top seed, it could very well come down to whose weakest event is not as bad. Auburn’s bar rotation had some hiccups, with a break in rhythm from Derrian Gobourne and some missed handstands throughout. Florida led the Tigers by 0.55 at the halfway point, but the meet wasn’t over yet.

The third rotation saw Florida on floor and Auburn on beam, where the Gators continued to increase their lead. One cute difference last night in the floor routines was that each of the gymnasts finished her routine with her hands in a heart position instead of the usual ending pose to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Richards again led off, starting the team with a 9.825, and again, the build was solid throughout the rotation. Rachel Gowey turned in a 9.85, followed by a pair of 9.9s from Amelia Hundley and Sydney Johnson-Scharpf. Johnson-Scharpf in particular looked great, moving later yet again in the lineup and turning in the best double arabian we’ve seen from her all season. Thomas earned a 9.95, her only deduction being the landing on her final tumbling pass – she just overpowered it a little in her set with her back handspring. Baumann closed out the lineup with a 9.875, coming up just a little short on her final pass. Like vault, floor is a landing issue – the Gators need to find the sweet spot between too much and too little power. Meanwhile, Auburn struggled on beam with falls from both Emma Slappey and Drew Watson, as well as a start value deduction from Meredith Sylvia. At this point, it was unlikely that Auburn could come back against Florida, but anything can happen, so it was important for Florida to continue to fight on beam.

Richards led off the final rotation as well, bringing her total number of leadoff spots to three out of the four events. She was incredibly steady, bringing in a 9.875 to start. Johnson-Scharpf had a few bobbles, only scoring a 9.775, but Baumann came in to reset the tone with a huge 9.925. Gowey followed, building on Baumann’s score to earn a 9.95 for her impeccable work and attention to detail. Set up perfectly by her teammates, Thomas earned her second 10.0 on beam in a row for her elegant, unique routine. And to finish things off, Leah Clapper returned to the lineup with a triumphant 9.875, in this week for Hundley. Overall, beam was a win for the Gators tonight, but confidence competing away from the O-Dome is definitely something some of the squad could work on.

A 197.875 is a score Florida can be absolutely proud of, but it’s still the same key components on each event that need to be improved to continue to push that score. Vault and floor landings will have to get more secure to compete with Oklahoma, as well as to fend off the teams that are continuing to improve to catch them. Additionally, beam confidence in away arenas will have to stay high across the board in order to compete at the same level from regular season to postseason. It’s all the same things we’ve been talking about, and progress is being made, but there’s definitely still room to grow.
BSB: Gators defeat Marshall 9-2 in season opener

February 15, 2020

Photo by Kristen Oliff / ChompTalk.com
The Florida Gators baseball team will start the 2020 season with a 1-0 record. The Gators got in the win in their last season opener at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium. Florida’s offense and pitching were clicking as they defeated the Marshall Thundering Herd 9-2. Junior right-handed pitcher Tommy Mace earned his first win of the season. The Gators offense had a good night as they score nine runs on eleven hits.

Game Summary

The Florida Gators got things started in the first inning with a leadoff infield single by Jud Fabian. Sophomore Kendrick Calilao would then drive Fabian in he ripped a single up the middle.

Marshall would answer with a little two-out rally in the top of the third inning. Marshall’s shortstop Geordon Blanton singled up the middle and stole second base two pitches later. Luke Edwards then ripped a double off the glove of Kirby McMullen as Blanton scored.

The Gators also broke the tie in the bottom of the third with an RBI single by Cory Acton that drove in McMullen. Florida would score again in the fourth as junior catcher Cal Greenfield doubled to left centerfield scoring freshman Nathan Hickey. Jud Fabian would follow that up with a RBI single to left field and advanced to second on an error by the left fielder.

Marshall would add another run in the top of the fifth due to a throwing error by Florida’s pitcher Tommy Mace. The Gators would get that run back thanks to freshman Josh River would hit a solo home run to left field. It was Rivera’s first collegiate hit and was the first Gator since Brady McConnell in 2017 to hit a home run as their first collegiate hit.

Tommy Mace was pulled after six solid innings as his pitch count was already at 90. Mace allowed eight hits, two runs, one walk and six strikeouts on the night.

In the bottom of the seventh, Florida started to break the game open. It started with a Nick Blasucci scoring on a throwing error. Sophomore first baseman Kris Armstrong hit a towering three-run blast to deep right field making the score 9-2.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Ben Specht threw 1.2 perfect innings and struck out two. True freshman Nick Ficarrotta made his collegiate debut as he pitched 1.1 innings allowing no hits, no runs, no walks and a strikeout.

Florida Gators head coach Kevin O’Sullivan shared his thoughts after tonight’s season opener win. “It’s opening night. There are a lot of different things that happen. I’ve seen guys that went in the first round struggle a little bit on the mound. Or you don’t hit like you think you’re going to hit. It’s just one of those things, you’ve just got to get through the first weekend. I thought we handled it well.”

What’s next?

The Florida Gators will look to clinch the series against the Marshall Thundering Herd with a win Saturday afternoon. Junior right-handed pitcher Jack Leftwich will be on the mound for the Florida Gators. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Brady Choban will get the start for the Marshall Thundering Herd. You can watch this game Saturday afternoon at 4 pm ET on the SEC Network+.