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The Florida Gators have moved on to the SEC Tournament semifinals behind the right arm of Kelly Barnhill and some early runs from the offense.
The Gators offense got out to a fast start as Amanda Lorenz hit a leadoff double to right field. Jordan Roberts plated her with a single to right field with two outs.
Florida tacked on two more in the second inning as Lorenz singled with the bases loaded to score Sophia Reynoso. Kendyl Lindaman followed by grounding into a fielder’s choice which scored Hannah Sipos.
Armed with a 3-0 lead, Kelly Barnhill went into cruise control in leading the Gators to the victory. Barnhill retired the side in order in five of the seven innings.
The only hit Barnhill allowed was a bunt-single by Aliyah Andrews in the third inning.
Fast stats:
Kelly Barnhill (28-11): 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 7 K, 1 BB
Amanda Lorenz: 3-4, RBI, 2B, R
Jordan Roberts: 1-2, 2 BB, RBI while batting in the 4-hole.
0: Gators offense did not strikeout in the game
Florida 5-9 hitters: 1-13, RBI (Reynoso)
What’s next:
Florida advances to the SEC Tournament semifinals where they will face no. 10 Auburn vs no. 2 Tennessee winner. The game is slated for 4:30 PM first pitch on Friday.
The win over LSU may have been enough to secure a national seed, but the only way to be certain is to keep winning.
Amidst a whirlwind of rumor and speculation, Chris Steele has entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal. The freshman star was expected to be a contributing factor in Florida’s secondary this fall.
While reports are still unclear, Zach Abolverdi of Gatorsports.com suggested that Steele was unhappy with the way things were handled in the Jalon Jones situation, and that he had requested a housing transfer prior to the sexual assault allegations levied against Jones.
Ultimately, the housing request was denied, leaving Steele very upset about the whole thing. The staff intended to move Steele after the spring semester prior to summer A session.
The news comes as yet another blow to the Gators off-season momentum and leaves another scar on the 2019 recruiting class.
Chris Steele, who enrolled early back in January, was one of the crown jewels of Dan Mullen’s bump class and despite some lumps taken during the spring session, showed all of the physical attributes that made him such a highly sought after recruit.
Steele was rated as a four-star prospect by the 247Composite, an industry-generated recruiting ranking. He was listed as the No. 42 overall player in the 2019 cycle and the No. 5 cornerback in the nation.
The Gators softball team overcame a four run deficit and a five hour weather delay to defeat South Carolina in the first round of the SEC Tournament.
The Gamecocks were in cruise control after taking a 4-0 lead shortly after play resumed.
South Carolina took the lead in the second inning as Cayla Drotar hit a solo homer off starter Elizabeth Hightower.
Carolina connected for a pair of homers in the third inning, a two run shot by Mackenzie Boesel and a solo blast to right by Kennedy Clark, to jump out to a 4-0 advantage.
It appeared the Gators had squandered their opportunity after Jordan Matthews led off the fifth inning with a triple. Alex Voss singled with one out to put runners on the corners, but Amanda Lorenz popped out to short before a Kendyl Lindaman walk loaded the bases. The threat ended with a Jaimie Hoover strikeout.
Florida finally broke through in the sixth with a pair of runs to cut the deficit to 4-2. Voss reached on a throwing error that allowed Hannah Adams and Sophia Reynoso to score.
The Gamecocks added an insurance run in the top of the seventh that set the scene.
Trailing 5-2, Lindaman led off the inning with a walk. Two batters later, Lindaman scored on an RBI single by Jordan Roberts. Hannah Adams then doubled to right center to put the tying run in scoring position.
Reynoso endured a eleven-pitch at-bat that saw her foul off five pitches after being down 1-2 in the count. She took pitch 11 the other way and SC 1B Alyssa Kumiyama made an error that allowed PR Amanda Beane to score.
Jordan Matthews took a 3-2 pitch to the wall in left that scored both Adams and Reynoso for the walk-off win and move the Gators into the second round of the SEC Tournament.
The Gators largest comeback this season had been a one-run deficit and they had only rallied for wins on four occasions entering the post-season.
Florida is still playing! The Gators will face no. 3 seed LSU at 4:00 PM on Thursday.
Florida, who entered the day with the no. 10 RPI in the country, needed the win and likely another for a chance at obtaining a national seed (top 8) and the opportunity to host a Super Regional.
The Gators are 29-21 after topping South Florida in midweek action on Tuesday. Entering the midweek, Florida’s RPI sat at no. 30.
Florida could still get in, but it appears it will take series victories against Tennessee and Missouri and likely a win or two at the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala.
Florida has made an NCAA Regional every year since Kevin O’Sullivan took over the helm in the summer of 2007.
The Southeastern Conference announced the season awards on the eve or the SEC Tournament on Tuesday. Four Gators earned a total of five honors.
Amanda Lorenz and Kendyl Lindaman each earned All-SEC first team honors, while starting pitcher Kelly Barnhill was named All-SEC second team. Florida RHP Elizabeth Hightower was named to the All-SEC Freshman team.
Lorenz finished second in the SEC in batting average at a .420 clip and will end her career with the highest average in program history. Lorenz was also named to the All-Defense team as well.
Lorenz became the first Gator to be named to the first team in all four years of her collegiate career and just the eighth in SEC history.
Kendyl Lindaman led the Gators with 14 homers in her first season at UF. The junior transferred to Florida from Minnesota where she hit 40 home runs in two seasons. Lindaman also hit at a .354 rate and reached base at a .473 mark.
Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com
Barnhill will leave UF as one of the most decorated athletes in school history. Her second team honor will rank quite low on her list of accomplishments as she has been named the SEC Pitcher of the Year twice, in addition to a National Player of the Year in 2017.
Barnhill completed the the 2019 regular season with a 27-11 record and a 1.69 ERA. In 220 innings of work she recorded 289 strikeouts and she became the UF all-time strikeout leader in April.
Photo by Kristen Oliff / ChompTalk.com
Elizabeth Hightower garnered All-Freshman honors after leading Florida with a 1.49 ERA. Hightower finished the regular season with a 4-1 record and held opponents to a .214 average.
The Gators (40-15) will head to College Station, TX for the SEC Tournament with a chance to improve their NCAA resume. Presently, Florida has the no. 10 RPI in the country. The USA Today coaches poll has the Gators ranked no. 9 while Softball America places Florida all the way back to no. 15.
Following a series loss to Mississippi State last weekend Florida, who sits at .500 in conference play, enters the SEC Conference Softball Tournament as a six seed.
In beginning its postseason ventures, the Gators will take on the No. 11 seed South Carolina Gamecocks on Wednesday May 8that 1:30 p.m. in College Station.
When predicting the outcome of the matchup, Florida undoubtedly has the edge considering they’ve won each of the last 11 meetings with South Carolina, with the Gators last loss to the Gamecocks coming in 2013.
However, with that being said, as any college sports fan may know, postseason play in any sports brings out the biggest surprises. It will be absolutely imperative that the Gators don’t allow their track record of success to make them complacent when lining up against the Gamecocks.
Fortunately, Tim Walton and his talented group typically don’t struggle with things such as complacency and they should,in my eyes, escape round one of the tournament with a win over South Carolina. This will put them in a game with No. 3 seed LSU, who started the tournament with a bye, on Thursday May 9that 12 p.m..
The postseason of college softball is always interesting to watch because it all rides on who gets hot at the right time. While this hasn’t been the most successful team Florida has had in recent years, it still stands as a very talented one that has struggled with consistency this spring. However, if the Gators can get firing on all cylinders, the potential for a deep run in the post season is absolutely possible.
Florida Gators defensive back Brian Edwards is in custody at the Alachua County Jail after being arrested on Monday.
Edwards is charged with misdemeanor battery. Gatorsports.com was the first to report the news.
Florida junior cornerback Brian Edwards was arrested Monday and charged with simple battery (date violence) following an argument with his girlfriend in his apartment.
According to a GPD arrest report, Edwards and his girlfriend of two years got in an argument and as she attempted to leave the apartment he grabbed her by the neck.
The junior from Miramar, FL has played in 18 games, mostly as a backup and special teams contributor. Edwards broke out during spring ball and appeared to be a strength.
Edwards becomes the second Florida football player to make headlines in a week as freshman QB announced his decision to transfer amid allegations of sexual assault (no charges were filed in that case).
Athens, GA –-The Gators baseball team traveled to Athens this weekend, to take on the Georgia Bulldogs. After dropping game one of the scheduled three game series, Florida hoped to bounce back on Saturday. Mother Nature had other plans.
Games two and three were played as a doubleheader on Sunday due to rain washing out Saturday’s meeting. Florida fared no better there, as they fell to 28-21 on the season.
Game One
Tommy Mace (7-4) was chased off of the mound on Friday night after walking seven batters and giving up four runs through as many innings. Mace gave up a solo shot to Tucker Maxwell in the first inning, and things spiraled downward from there.
After he walked the bases loaded, an RBI groundout gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead before Mace escaped the inning.
Brady Smith and Wil Dalton began the second inning with back-to-back singles, and Smith scored as a result of an error that allowed Cory Acton to get on. With the score set at 2-1, Florida held fast until the fourth inning.
Georgia extended their lead by three runs, forcing Kevin O’Sullivan to call on his bullpen to relieve his floundering sophomore pitcher. The Bulldogs then added one more, just for good measure, in the sixth.
Florida attempted to rally, late, with an RBI double by Cory Acton and an RBI groundout from Brady McConnell. With the score, 6-3, the Gators stranded the tying runs in the eighth. Freshman, Jacob Young scored the final run for Florida, as he rounded the bases on a wild pitch.
The Gators dropped game one, 6-4.
Game Two
Jack Leftwich continued the shoddy pitching performance by the Gators, this weekend, in game one of a doubleheader. The Bulldogs went yard on Leftwich three times, while scoring eight runs on just seven hits through five innings.
Although there were plenty of fireworks for Georgia on the offensive side of the diamond, the Gators mustered only a solitary score. Brady McConnell posted his eleventh home run of the season in the 9-1 loss.
Game Three
Florida was bottled up in game three, managing only two hits versus Cole Wilcox and the Bulldogs. Just as in the front end of the doubleheader, Brady McConnell was the only Gator to reach home on a solo home run. The solo shot gives him twelve on the season.
Georgia tallied three runs through three innings and added one more in the bottom of the sixth. With the 4-1 win, the eighth ranked Bulldogs secured the weekend sweep of the Gators.
Coach Kevin O’Sullivan was very complimentary of Georgia’s pitching, during post game interviews.
“Credit their pitchers. Their first pitcher was really good, we had to earn everything we got today. He had pretty good command. We hit a lot of balls hard in the first game, just didn’t have much to show for it. In the second game, another really good arm. He was still hitting 96-97 there in the seventh inning. He had 25 walks in 34 innings coming in and only walked one today, walked Kendrick after the double, that was it. Wilcox rose to the occasion and pitched really well in the second game. I don’t think we quit, that we didn’t compete, it was just one of those games where he was just really good.
“The biggest thing is, we talked about it before SEC play even started, we’ve won one road game in the league – the Thursday night game at LSU. We’ve got to avoid trying to get swept, we’ve got to win at least one on the road and we weren’t able to do that at Vanderbilt, Ole Miss or here. It’s one of the main reasons we’ve put ourselves in a tough position here.”
The Gators return to Gainesville for their final home stretch of the season. Florida hosts the USF Bulls on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before beginning a three game series against Tennessee on Friday.
The Florida lacrosse team learned of their NCAA fate during the selection show Sunday night.
The Gators will travel to Chapel Hill, NC where they will open Tournament play with a first round match against Johns Hopkins on Friday, May 10.
Florida completed the regular season and conference tournament with ten straight wins in addition to securing regular season and conference tourney titles.
The Gators did not face the Blue Jays this season, but hold a 5-1 all-time record against the program located in Baltimore, MD.
Johns Hopkins finished the season 10-7 overall with a 2-4 mark in Big East action.
A win against the Blue Jays would set up a rematch with #3 seed North Carolina on Sunday, May 12.
The Gators fell to the Tar Heels 11-9 in Gainesville back in March.
Stay posted with ChompTalk.com for the latest on the Gators lacrosse program’s post-season run.
Photo by John W. RobinsonAs the Florida Gator softball team prepares to say farewell to its five seniors, let’s take a walk down memory lane and relive the success this group has had:
In four years, these seniors have won three SEC regular season titles, one SEC tournament title and they’ve packed their bags and headed to Oklahoma City for two Women’s College World Series.
Included in the 2019 senior class is outfielder Amanda Lorenz. Over the course of her tenure at Florida, she has arguably become the face of the team as she was never too shy to put her emotions and personality on display.
Making the coast to coast journey from her hometown of Moorpark, California, Lorenz knew she wanted to be a Gator from the moment she stepped foot on campus; and she has made the most of her time here ever since.
In four years, Lorenz has racked up a number of accolades including SEC Freshman of the Year in 2016, All-SEC First Team in 2017, SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player in 2018 and SEC Softball Player of the Year in 2018. Lorenz also played for Team USA in 2018. Lorenz is also on pace to be the Gators’ career batting average leader.
Joining Lorenz in this year’s senior class is another soon-to-be Gator Great, Kelly Barnhill. Barnhill, who has been Tim Walton’s bell-cow in the circle will be looked at one of the best softball players to ever don the orange and blue. Photo by John W. Robinson
The Marietta, Georgia native joins Lorenz in terms of having a running list of accomplishments. During her time at Florida, Barnhill leads UF’s career ranks in ERA (0.92), strikeouts per seven innings (11.52) and lowest stolen base percentage (0.419). Earlier this season while visiting Auburn, Barnhill also broke Florida’s all-time strikeout record surpassing Stacy Nelson’s 1,116 strikeouts by five.
Florida’s ace joined Lorenz on Team USA in 2018 as well as being named the SEC’s Pitcher of the Year in 2017 and 2018. Barnhill also is the recipient of an ESPY, which was awarded in 2017 for the Best Female Collegiate Athlete. espnW also awarded Barnhill player of the year.
Outfielder Lily Mann was also recognized during senior celebrations at KSP on Saturday. Mann, who comes from a stones throw away in St. Cloud, appeared in 32 games and served as a defensive specialist and pinch runner. The highlight of Mann’s career at Florida came on May 26th, 2018 when she scored the winning run in the walk-off finale against Texas A&M in the Gaineville Super Regional to punch the Gators’ ticket to Oklahoma City.
Photo by John W. Robinson
The fourth player celebrated on Saturday was utility player Theresa Swertfager. Hailing from Katonah, New York, Swertfager’s highlight of her career came in her sophomore season in 2017 when she successfully put down a SAC bunt against LSU during the WCWS to move Sofia Reynoso into scoring position and set up an important four-run seventh inning against the Tigers. Photo by John W. Robinson
Finally, outfielder Alex Voss, of Coral Springs also made plenty of contributions for the Gators; many of which coming in crucial moments. As a sophomore, Voss’ speed around the bases proved vital as she produced the second run in scoring from first to put the Gators’ up 2-0 over LSU in at the WCWS. Voss also tracked down two fly balls in center field for a pair of putouts against Washington at the WCWS.
As a group, these seniors have set a high standard for Florida softball. In four years, the Gators have recorded a .836 winning percentage. Today, we say farewell to five seniors who have donned the orange and blue with grace and pride. While they play for the name across their chest, we will remember each of them for the name across their back.
Florida will likely host a regional series at home, therefore it’s highly unlikely that this is the last time Gators fans will see these seniors at KSP.
ChompTalk.com 