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  • SB: Pitching keys Gators to pair of wins at Judi Garman Classic

    SB: Pitching keys Gators to pair of wins at Judi Garman Classic

    Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com

    Fullerton, CA– Florida softball rebounded from a tough loss to #2 UCLA Wednesday night with a pair of Thursday morning victories that were keyed by strong pitching performances.

    Game One

    Final: Florida 1, New Mexico 0 (8)

    Natalie Lugo pitched seven excellent innings in the circle for Florida and made up for an offense that struggled mightily.

    Lugo finished with 13 strikeouts and only one walk while scattering four hits.

    The Gators finally got on the scoreboard and earned the walkoff win as junior Jade Caraway led off the eighth inning with a double that scored Hannah Sipos. (Sipos was placed at second to begin the inning per tournament rules).

    Fast stats:

    • Natalie Lugo’s final line: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 13 K, 1 BB
    • Kelly Barnhill recorded the victory, throwing one inning and recording three strikeouts.
    • Overall Florida hitters went 5-26 (.192) in the game.

    W: Barnhill (10-1)

    L: Kennedy Ferguson (0-6)

    __________

    Game Two

    Final: Florida 2, Oregon 1

    In the second game of the day, Florida defeated #20 Oregon to earn their fourth victory over top-25 competition on the year.

    In a battle between two if the top pitchers in the country, Florida’s Kelly Barnhill handed Oregon’s Jordan Dail with her first loss of the year.

    Barnhill was actually the first to surrender as she gave up a fifth inning solo homer to the Ducks’ first baseman April Utecht.

    Florida responded with a two out rally that produced two runs in the bottom half of the fifth. Jade Caraway reached on an error and scored two hitters later on a single up the middle by Kendyl Lindaman. Haven Sampson (pinch ran for Lindaman) came around to score the winning run on Jaimie Hoover’s single.

    The lead was all Barnhill needed as she retired all six Oregon hitters she faced in the sixth and seventh frames.

    Fast stats:

    • Kelly Barnhill’s final line: 7 IP, 3 H, 1ER, 9 K, 1 BB.
    • Amanda Lorenz went 1-2 with a double and a walk.

    W: Barnhill (11-1)

    L: Dail (9-1)

  • MBB: Gators defeat Vandy for fifth straight victory

    MBB: Gators defeat Vandy for fifth straight victory

    Photo via Michael Reaves / Getty Images

    Freshman point guard Andrew Nembhard paced Florida with 19 points as the Gators defeated Vanderbilt 71-55 on Wednesday.

    While the win does little to affect the Gators tournament chances, a loss would have put a major damper on their resume.

    Florida (17-11, 9-6 SEC) has now won five straight for the first time since the 2016-17 season that ended in the Elite Eight.

    Nembhard made his first six shot attempts and a rejuvenated Jalen Hudson added a season-high 17 to the effort while playing 34 minutes despite a reserve role.

    Senior forward Kevarrius Hayes added 14 points on 5-5 from the field.

    Fast stats:

    • Florida shot 48% (24-50) from the floor on Wednesday.
    • The Gators made 15-16 (94%) from the charity stripe. The Commodores only made 50% of their 14 attempts
    • Hudson finished with 17 points but made 5-13 from the field and 3-7 from the three point line.
    • Nembhard finished 7-8 from the field and 3-3 from deep.

    What’s next:

    Florida has three games remaining on the season. Florida will take on Georgia (10-17, 1-14 SEC) on Saturday before taking on SEC heavyweights, LSU and Kentucky before the SEC tournament begins.

  • BSB: Florida tops Jacksonville 5-4 in midweek action; now 6-3 on season

    BSB: Florida tops Jacksonville 5-4 in midweek action; now 6-3 on season

    Photo via AP Images

    FINAL: Florida 5, Jacksonville 4 (10)

    The Florida Gators baseball team improved to 6-3 on the season after a midweek victory at Jacksonville Tuesday night.

    The Gators overcame the loss of their biggest power bat in the lineup, Wil Dalton and their head coach, Kevin O’Sullivan (both of whom were ejected in the third inning for arguing balls and strikes).

    Florida got out to a 2-0 lead before the Dolphins had a chance to bat. 1B Kendrick Calilao hit a sacrifice fly that scored Brady McConnell which was followed by an RBI double by Jordan Butler that brought Austin Langworthy in to score.

    The Gators extended the lead to 3-0 in the second inning. Blake Reese was hit by a pitch and stole second base before scoring on McConnell’s single to right.

    The Dolphins wouldn’t go down quietly, however. Jacksonville scored a pair of runs in the second and third to take a 4-3 advantage.

    Cory Heffron hit a 2-RBI double in the second and Cory Garrastazu added a 2-RBI triple to get to that point.

    Florida tied the game in the seventh on an RBI double by Nelson Maldonado (who replaced Dalton in the lineup) that plated Langworthy from second.

    In extra innings, freshman Jud Fabian knocked in the winning run as he doubled to score fellow frosh Cory Acton and put the Gators ahead.

    That left the game in the hands of fun closer Nolan Crisp. Facing the heart of the JU order, Crisp forced the first two batters into groundouts before getting John Cassala to line out to third ane throwing only seven total pitches in the process. Crisp is now 5-5 in save opportunities on the season.

    Fast stats:

    • Brady McConnell went 2-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in the leadoff spot.
    • Austin Langworthy finished the night 2-5 with two runs scored.
    • Cory Acton hit 2-3 and reached base four times after being walked twice.
    • The Gators bullpen pitched 7 innings and only allowed 3 hits to the Dolphins

    What’s next:

    Florida will face UCF on Wednesday in midweek action. The Knights are 5-2 thus far, but dropped a series against SEC foe Auburn last weekend. First pitch is set for 6:00 PM.

  • SB: Kelly Barnhill does it again; named SEC Pitcher of the Week

    SB: Kelly Barnhill does it again; named SEC Pitcher of the Week

    Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com

    For the third consecutive week, Florida RHP Kelly Barnhill was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week, the conference announced on Monday.

    For Barnhill, this marks the twelfth time in her career she has earned the weekly honor. In 15.2 innings of work last week, she recorded 22 strikeouts and didn’t allow a run.

    On the season, Barnhill has a 0.59 ERA in 12 appearances to go along with a 9-0 record and 3 saves.

    On Tuesday the Gators will travel to California and begin competition in the Judy Garman Classic. During their trip, Florida will face #2 UCLA (twice), #5 Washington, and #17 Oregon beginning Wednesday.

  • BSB: Gators 1B Kendrick Calilao named SEC co-Freshman of the Week

    BSB: Gators 1B Kendrick Calilao named SEC co-Freshman of the Week

    Photo by Tim Casey / UAA

    Florida first baseman Kendrick Calilao has been named the SEC co-Freshman of the Week after leading the Gators to a series victory over Miami, the conference announced on Monday.

    The Kissimmee, FL native went 8-15 in the five games (four starts) he played during the week. He enjoyed a 7-12 weekend against the Hurricanes.

    In addition to leading the team in hits for the week, he also paced the team with 6 RBI while only striking out in two plate appearances.

    On the season, Calilao is hitting a team best .435 with an on-base+slugging of 1.302. He has slugged a homer in addition to two doubles and a triple this far in 2019.

    Calilao shares the weekly honor with Mississippi State RHP JT Ginn.

  • BSB: Gators take fifth straight series against Miami

    BSB: Gators take fifth straight series against Miami

    Photo by Cliff Welch / Getty Images

    The Gators extended their streak over Miami to five consecutive series wins, this weekend. After a slow start, the Gators offense came alive late Saturday night to win games two and three, clinching the series. Florida entered Friday night on a two game slide that continued into the first of the three game showdown with the Hurricanes but it was Miami who left Gainesville with a pair of L’s.

    FRIDAY:

    FLORIDA 2, MIAMI 5

    RUNS HITS ERRORS
    MIAMI 5 13 1
    GATORS 2 5 2

    Gainesville, FL –Florida dropped their third game in a row as Miami got off to a hot start. The Hurricanes’ Alejandro Toral got things going in the second inning with a two run shot. Florida responded when freshman, Kendrick Calilao hit an RBI triple that scored Brady McConnell and cut the deficit in half.
    In the fifth, Florida had reason to be hopeful when a ground out to third by Nelson Maldonaldo proved to be enough to bring in Austin Langworthy, knotting things up at two all.
    Miami crushed that hope with a two run homer followed by an RBI single in the seventh inning.

    Game Trends
    Tyler Dawson gave four plus innings from the mound before calling it a night. He finished the evening allowing six hits, a pair of runs, and striking out three.

    Fast Stats:

    • Gators batters have struck out thirty-five times during their three game losing streak. Only twenty-one batters were whiffed through the first three games.
    • Kendrick Calilao recorded the Gators first triple of the season as well as the first of his young career.
    • Calilao is averaging .333 at the plate and brought in his first career RBI.

    W: Evan McKendry (2-0)

    L: Jordan Butler (1-1)

    SATURDAY:

    FLORIDA 9, MIAMI 3

    RUNS HITS ERRORS
    MIAMI 3 6 0
    GATORS 9 11 0

    Gainesville, FL-In game two of this three game series it appeared that Miami, once again, had the upper hand. Raymond Gil hit a towering three run homerun in the top of the sixth, giving the Hurricanes a late cushion.
    Florida’s offense finally came together, however, as they exploded for nine runs across the final four innings.

    Game Trends
    Austin Langworthy started the rally when he blasted a double to right-center field. A sac fly by freshman Kendrick Calilao scored Langworthy and put the Gators on the board.
    In the bottom of the seventh, Wil Dalton gave the Gators their first lead of the series when he connected on a three run triple. It was Calilao, once again, that recorded the RBI double that brought Dalton home and gave Florida a five to three advantage as they headed into the eighth inning.
    Brady McConnell added to the fireworks with a two-run single, which was followed up by yet another Calilao RBI.
    Tommy Mace was superb through seven innings, save for the one pitch that Gil got a hold of. Mace finished with his second win in as many starts, allowing five hits, three runs, and recording four strikeouts.

    Fast Stats:

    • Kendrick Calilao recorded three RBI’s in the blowout win.
    • Freshman Nolan Crisp allowed one hit and recorded his third save through two innings of relief.
    • The 6,206 fans in attendance marks the third largest in school history.

    W: Tommy Mace (2-0)

    L: JP Gates (0-1)

    SUNDAY:

    FLORIDA 4, MIAMI 1

    RUNS HITS ERRORS
    MIAMI 1 8 1
    GATORS 4 10 1

    Gainesville, FL –Florida finished out the three game series with a second consecutive victory on Sunday afternoon. The win gives the Gators their fifth consecutive series victory over Miami and some offensive momentum moving forward.

    Game Trends
    Kendrick Calilao celebrated his nineteenth birthday, Sunday, with a win over in state rival Miami. He finished the day with a homerun and a pair of RBI’s.
    For just the second time this season, the Gators scored in the first inning. Austin Langworthy found his way home on the heels of a two out single from Calilao. Unwilling to go quietly, Miami tied the game when Adrian Del Castillo went yard in the fourth. The Hurricanes continued threatening but Jack Leftwich killed the threat, ending the inning with a strikeout.
    Cory Acton got in base next with a single and was advanced by a Blake Reese single. When the throw back to the infield got away from Miami shortstop Freddy Zamora, Acton took advantage and beat the play across home plate.
    Later, in the sixth, Calilao joined the homerun club with his first collegiate long ball.
    Leftwich was solid through five innings as he locked up his second win while striking out seven batters along the way.

    Fast Stats:

    • Kendrick Calilao was clearly the star of this series going 7-12 at the plate with a homerun and six RBI’s.
    • Nolan Crisp is taking full advantage of his save opportunities as he recorded his fourth save in five total wins.

    Quotables:

    • Freshman Kendrick Calilao, “It’s just part of the game, people get into grooves and you just continue to hit the ball and you feel good at the plate. You play your best when you’re not thinking and I’m kind of at that stage right now. At the beginning of the season we started off struggling but we’re starting to pick it up a little bit and getting a feel for it.”

    W: Jack Leftwich (2-0)

    L: Brian Van Belle (1-1)

    _______________
    Florida travels to Jacksonville to take on the dolphins at John Sessions Stadium. Coverage will be provided on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. by ESPN+ and the Gators Sports Network.

    SEC EAST STANDINGS

    SCHOOL SEC W SEC L Overall W Overall L
    GEORGIA 0 0 6 0
    TENNESSEE 0 0 6 0
    S. CAROLINA 0 0 5 1
    VANDERBILT 0 0 5 1
    KENTUCKY 0 0 3 1
    FLORIDA 0 0 5 3
    MISSOURI 0 0 4 4
  • SB: #3 Gators sweep field at Bubly Invitational

    SB: #3 Gators sweep field at Bubly Invitational

    Photo by Anthony Peña / ChompTalk.com

    The Gators completed the Bubly Invitational with a pair of wins against Syracuse and Florida A&M. The two wins moved Florida to 18-0 on the season.

    Florida will head to the west coast for the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, California this week. The Gators will face #2 UCLA twice while also having to deal with #5 Washington and #17 Oregon.

    SUNDAY (GAME ONE):

    FLORIDA 8, SYRACUSE 2

    Florida improved to 17-0 on the season after topping Syracuse 8-2 in UF’s opening game of the final day at the Bubly Invitational.

    Game Trends

    Amanda Lorenz led off the game with a solo homer to right-center field to put the Gators ahead 1-0.

    Florida added a pair of runs in the second frame as Kendyl Lindaman hit a two-out, two-RBI single that put Florida ahead 3-0.

    In the third inning the Gators extended the lead to 5-0. Hannah Adams scored on a Hannah Sipos groundout to short and Alex Voss scored on a single by Sophia Reynoso.

    Elizabeth Hightower came on in relief of Kelly Barnhill in the fifth inning. Barnhill allowed only three hits in 4.2 innings but clearly head coach Tim Walton wants to see what he’s got in his freshmen on staff.

    The Orange finally broke through in the sixth. Syracuse first baseman Hannah Dossett singled to left which scored Neli Casares-Maher.

    Florida would strike for three in the bottom of the sixth highlighted by Jordan Roberts’ two-run double.

    Syracuse would get one back in the seventh frame but it was too little, too late for the Orange.

    Fast Stats:

    • Kelly Barnhill’s final line:4.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 7 K, 2 BB
    • Danni Farley’s final line: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 K, 1 BB
    • Kendyl Lindaman hit 1-3 but had a walk and 3 RBI.
    • Sophia Reynoso finished 2-2 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored.

    W: Barnhill (9-0)

    L: Sophie Dandola (3-3)

    __________

    SUNDAY (GAME TWO):

    FLORIDA 7, FAMU 1

    The Gators completed Bubly Invitational with a victory over FAMU by a score of

    Game Trends:

    Freshman Danni Farley got the start in the circle and faced a two-on, two out scenario in the first inning, before retiring Kimiya Watkins with a strikeout to end the threat.

    The Gators got on the scoreboard in the second inning when a Hannah Adams single scored Jordan Roberts. Jaimie Hoover scored on a double-steal. Adams was able to come around on a wild pitch by FAMU starter Brandice Boatwright.

    In the third inning, C Jordan Roberts crushed three-run homer that scored Amanda Lorenz and Kendyl Lindaman.

    Jaimie Hoover added to the hit party with a solo shot of her own in the sixth inning. For Hoover, it was her third of the year.

    FAMU got on the board in the sixth as Jamesia Stoudemire hit a double to the wall, but was gunned down at third by Hannah Adams’ relay toss. Tyra Bowers did score to cut the deficit to 7-1.

    Katie Chronister saw her first action of the season as she was brought on with two outs in the seventh. Chronister recorded the final out and the Gators moved to 18-0 on the season.

    Fast Stats:

    • Danni Farley finished with a statline of: 6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 3BB
    • Jaimie Hoover went 2-3 with a homer and scored two runs.
    • Amanda Lorenz went 2-3 with a double and a run scored.

    W: Farley (2-0)

    L: Brandice Boatwright (0-1)

  • SB: #3 Florida rolls past competition to open Bubly Invitational

    SB: #3 Florida rolls past competition to open Bubly Invitational

    Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com

    Florida softball opened the first day of the Bubly Invitational with a pair of back-to-back contests played within the friendly confines of Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

    The Gators opened the day with mid-afternoon start against a familiar opponent before taking on FAMU in the nightcap.

    On Saturday, the Gators topped Illinois State and Syracuse to move to 16-0 on the season.

    Game recaps:

    FRIDAY (GAME ONE):

    FLORIDA 7, ILLINOIS STATE 0

    RUNS HITS ERRORS
    ILL STATE 0 3 0
    GATORS 7 10 1

    Gainesville, FL – Florida opened the Bubly Invitational with a familiar opponent. The Gators have met the Redbirds in both tournaments they’ve already played (the USF Opening Weekend Tournament, Littlewood Classic). The Gators got on the scoreboard early and often, but were unable to run-rule Illinois State in this one.

    Florida improved to 13-0 with the victory and play five more games in the Invitational.

    Game Trends

    Florida jumped on Illinois State early with three runs in the first. Hanna Adams hit a single with the bases loaded that forced 1B Jordan Matthews in to score. Third-sacker Hannah Sipos followed with a blooper to center that added a pair of runs to the scoreboard.

    The Gators added four runs in the third inning to put the game essentially out of reach. DP Jordan Roberts hit a leadoff double which was followed by a walk to C Kendyl Lindaman. Lindaman was pinch run for, and both Roberts and Lily Mann would come around to score. A single by Alex Voss scored Roberts while Sophia Reynoso was hit by a pitch to score Mann. Amanda Lorenz was then hit which scored Sipos. Jordan Roberts completed the scoring cycle by walking to force Voss home, which increased the lead to 7-0.

    Kelly Barnhill (7-0) tossed five scoreless innings, recording ten strikeouts and earning the win. She was relieved in the circle by freshman Danni Farley in the sixth inning.

    Fast Stats:

    • Kelly Barnhill’s final line: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 10 K, 0 BB
    • Danni Farley’s final line: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K, 0 BB
    • Jordan Roberts finished 2-2 with a single, double, and a pair of walks
    • Florida went 5-11 (.455) with runners in scoring position

    W: Barnhill (7-0)

    L: Mack Leonard (0-2)

    __________

    FRIDAY (GAME TWO):

    FLORIDA 4, FAMU 0

    RUNS HITS ERRORS
    FAMU 0 5 1
    GATORS 4 8 0

    Gainesville, FL- The Gators completed the first day of the Bubly Invitational with a 4-0 win over Florida A&M (1-8). The Rattlers entered the game coming off their first win of the season (a run-rule victory over Syracuse earlier in the day), and gave Florida fits all evening. Despite the close score, the Gators came away with the W and improved to 14-0 on the season.

    Game Trends

    Freshman Elizabeth Hightower got the start in the circle for Florida, but only lasted two innings (seven batters) before head coach Tim Walton pulled her in favor of Natalie Lugo. After the game, Walton explained, “I didn’t think Elizabeth had her best stuff today.”

    The Gators got on the board in the third inning as Amanda Lorenz ledoff the frame with a walk and came around to score on Jaimie Hoover’s single four batters later.

    While there wasn’t much in the way of offense in the until the sixth inning, the game wasn’t short on drama. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Jordan Matthews led off with a fly out to left field. However, Walton realized that it was a different outfielder than had started the game, but was never announced. This set Walton off on the plate umpire, but to no avail. Matthews was still out and the game continued. When asked whether he would address the situation after the game, Walton replied sternly, “no.”

    In the bottom of the sixth inning the Gators added three insurance runs as Amanda Lorenz hit a colossal homer that landed on Museum Road behind the right field fence. Lorenz was able to hit after a pair of two out hits by Alex Voss and Sophia Reynoso.

    It was more than enough for Lugo who completed the game by retiring the side in the seventh to seal the victory.

    Fast Stats:

    • Elizabeth Hightower finished with a statline of: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 K, 0 BB
    • Natalie Lugo’s final line: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 9 K, 1 BB
    • Amanda Lorenz went 2-3 with a walk and scored two runs. She is now batting .476 on the year.
    • Sophia Reynoso went 2-3 in the game.

    W: Lugo (5-0)

    L: Kyaira Brown (1-2)

    _________

    SATURDAY (Game One):

    FLORIDA 10, ILLINOIS STATE 2

    RUNS HITS ERRORS
    ILL STATE 2 7 0
    GATORS 10 13 0

    Gainesville, FL- The Gators began the second day of the Bubly Invitational with an 11:00 AM first pitch against Illinois State. The Gators would run-rule the Redbirds in the sixth inning as hit a two-run single to end the contest. Florida moves to 15-0 with the win while Illinois State falls to 1-12 on the year.

    Game Trends:

    The Gators opened the scoring with two runs in the second inning. Jaimie Hoover led the inning off with a walk which was immediately followed by a Hannah Adams single. Third baseman Hannah Sipos singled to plate Hoover and two batters later Amanda Lorenz grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Adams.

    Alex Voss hammered a drive that easily cleared the fence in left-center. The three-run shot put Florida ahead 5-1 through three innings of play.

    Voss then led off the fifth inning with a stand-up triple which was followed by a Danielle Romanello triple. Freshman Cheyenne Lindsey singled to score Amanda Beane (who pinch ran for Romanello) and recorded her first career RBI.

    Natalie Lugo pitched five innings in earning her sixth win of the season. Elizabeth Hightower pitched an inning of relief work to close the game out.

    Fast Stats:

    • Alex Voss went 2-2 with 4 RBI and a walk in the game.
    • Hannah Adams went 3-4 with three runs scored.
    • Amanda Lorenz went 2-5 in the leadoff spot.
    • Natalie Lugo’s final line: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 5 K, 1 BB

    W: Lugo (6-0)

    L: Shannon Felde (1-5)

    _________

    SATURDAY:

    FLORIDA 8, SYRACUSE 0

    RUNS HITS ERRORS
    SYRACUSE 0 2 3
    GATORS 8 6 0

    Gainesville, FL- Florida faced Syracuse out of the ACC in the game Saturday.

    Game Trends:

    The Gators picked up an early lead as Amanda Lorenz crushed a homer to lead of the game. For Lorenz it was her fifth of the year and her third leading off a game.

    Florida added to the lead in the third inning when Jordan Matthews came around thanks to two walks and two hit batters. Florida scored a run in the inning despite not recording a hit (or reaching on an error).

    Florida added four runs in the fourth thanks to a Kendyl Lindaman grand slam that bounced of the scoreboard in left center.

    Hannah Adams hit a double in the sixth that scored Jade Caraway (pinch running for Danielle Romanello. Alex Voss finished the game with her second triple of the afternoon and put Florida up 8-0 for the win.

    Fast Stats:

    • Alex Voss finished the game going 2-3 with a triple and an RBI.
    • Jordan Roberts didn’t record an at-bat, walking in both of her plate appearances.
    • Kelly Barnhill’s final line: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 5 K, 0 BB
    • The Gators went 10-21 on advancement opportunities.

    W: Barnhill (8-0)

    L: Miranda Hearn (0-3)

    Florida will complete the Bubly Invitational on Sunday with games against Syracuse and Florida A&M before traveling out west to California next week.

  • WGYM: Florida Falls to Georgia Despite Solid Performance

    WGYM: Florida Falls to Georgia Despite Solid Performance

    Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com

    In one of the closest matchups so far this season, Florida came up short against rival Georgia last night, losing by only 0.075. On paper, the night looked relatively similar to most home meets so far this season, save for some uncharacteristic struggles on beam, but Georgia unexpectedly put up scores they’ve struggled to achieve on the road thus far, ultimately earning them the win. When discussing her team’s performance last night, head coach Jenny Rowland emphasized the word “good.” “It was a good night for the Gators, we had four good events. No event stood out more than anything else, all pretty solid performers. We left a lot out on the floor tonight, and really I’d just say that for the Gators tonight, it was a missed opportunity.” The understood distinction there is that they were good, not great, and that that’s what will make the difference the next time Florida faces the Gymdogs at SEC Championships. She also reminded us that gymnastics doesn’t go by win/lose. “We go by scores,” she said, “and I mean, we really had a decent night tonight.”

    The Gators started out behind as they have at every home meet, but by the slightest possible margin – 0.025 – but continued to show how they are upping their game on what could be considered their weakest event this season. Florida became just the third team in the nation to post a full lineup of 10.0 start value vaults since the devaluation of the Yurchenko full a few years ago, and only the second team to have all six hit. Senior Alicia Boren added to her long list of event titles by posting the highest score, a 9.925 for her Yurchenko 1.5, with one of the best landings she’s hit all season. Alyssa Baumann also solidified her place in the vault lineup with her Yurchenko 1.5, earning a 9.8 as she continues to find the sweet spot on her landing. But Georgia was dialing it in on bars as well, posting a 49.3 highlighted by a refined, dynamic routine from Marissa Oakley for a 9.95. Alexa Al-Hameed shined as well with her huge floaty Tkachev release, scoring a 9.875.

    Rotation two saw the Gators go to bars, one of their most consistent events this season, and scored a 49.4. Florida was still without bars and beam stalwart Rachel Gowey this week, as doctors recommended a two-week rest for her after an old back injury flared up, so Maegan Chant took her spot in the lineup, but only earned a 9.75. Amelia Hundley had an off night as well, losing her swing in a couple of places, though she did well to mask it. She too only earned a 9.75. Still, Trinity Thomas earned a 9.975 (as she has three times now this season) and Megan Skaggs posted a 9.925, ensuring the Gators still earned a respectable total. Rowland expressed her feelings about the former after the meet, raving about Thomas’s handstands and cleanliness. “Her bars, I thought, were pretty fantastic,” she said, drawing out the word of high praise. Without saying as much, it’s clear that the head coach is frustrated with the fact that Thomas hasn’t been given a perfect score here yet, as even she isn’t able to find any corrections to give her young gymnast. The Gymdogs had a good showing on vault as well, putting up four 10.0 starts and three 9.9 scores, belonging to Rachel Dickson, Rachael Lukacs and Sydney Snead. At the halfway point of the meet, Florida had retaken the lead, but again by a margin of just 0.025, the smallest margin possible in a regular-season meet.

    The third rotation was where the Gators started to show some uncharacteristic nerves, with Skaggs having a major break at the hips on her series for just a 9.625, and Baumann falling altogether. This meant that Skaggs’s score had to count and put freshman anchor Leah Clapper in a difficult pressure situation in order to not count Baumann’s fall. The rookie delivered, though, earning a 9.825 as her team rushed in to celebrate her success. Georgia, meanwhile, was delivering on floor, highlighted by a 9.9 from freshman Lukacs, to the tune of 49.325. The Gymdogs’ consistency here is perhaps what gave them the edge, leaving them with a lead of 0.125 after three, the largest lead at any point in the meet.

    As it has many times before, it came down to the very last routine of the meet, as the Gators took to floor, their best event so far this season, while Georgia went to beam, traditionally an inconsistent event for it. It seemed that something was off from the beginning, though, as Savannah Schoenherr had an odd landing on one of her twisting passes that caused her to stumble, though she didn’t fall, only earning her a 9.75. Hundley hit the reset button, as she did on beam, with a strong 9.875, followed by back-to-back-to-back lights out routines from Nya Reed, Boren and Thomas, all for 9.925 or higher. Meanwhile, despite a few bobbles, Georgia put up some solid scores on beam, including a 9.925 from Rachel Baumann (Alyssa’s younger sister) and a 9.95 from Sabrina Vega. Vega showcased Georgia’s moonwalk tradition, a move the team passes down from gymnast to gymnast over the years, and stood steadfast like the veteran she is despite massive noise from the crowd when Thomas’s event-winning 9.975 was posted. Anchor Alyssa Baumann followed Vega, and she needed a 9.9 to tie it up with Georgia, a score she’s achieved four out of five previous outings this year. Unfortunately, she too had an uncharacteristic extra-crossed-over landing on her twisting pass and only earned a 9.825. The meet ended with the Gators at 197.375 and the Gymdogs just edging them out at 197.450.

    Despite the loss of the meet itself, the Gators still won four of the five individual titles, with Boren taking vault and Thomas taking bars, floor and the all-around. When asked about Thomas’s training this week, Rowland discussed her priorities and how she put the ball in Thomas’s court. The freshman left immediately after the meet for Sarasota, Fla. where the following morning, she would compete in verification for National Team Camp with Team USA. “We’ve talked about it for a little while and advised her that this would be a great meet to rest. She does not, did not want to do that, and I did not want to take away that opportunity for her. Really, it’s what she wants. Her health is of utmost interest… she’s healthy, she’s in great shape, and this is what she wanted to do, so we gave her the green light. She’s in control, she’s in charge, and she’s taking ownership of her own life and her gymnastics, so I’m really proud of her for that.”

    Each of the Gators spoke after the meet about their mixed feelings about some of their performances and their desire to do more and learn from this miss. Despite earning a huge 39.6 in the all-around, Boren said of her night, “It was pretty good. I definitely didn’t the bar routine maybe that I wanted, and there were other little things here and there.” Hundley, too, wasn’t totally pleased with her night. “There are things that I was happy about that I improved on from the last few weeks, but there were also things that I beat myself up over a little bit. I think this was a good learning experience, and we still have a lot of time. I think we can either go down from our mistakes, or we can use them as a learning tool and see what we can improve upon, and I think [the latter] is what we’re going to do.”

  • WGYM Liveblog: Rivalry Night! No. 7 Georgia at No. 3 Florida

    WGYM Liveblog: Rivalry Night! No. 7 Georgia at No. 3 Florida

    Get ready for a crazy night of gymnastics, Gator Nation – it’s Rivalry Night! Your favorite Gator gymnasts will face off tonight against the Georgia Gymdogs, now in their second season under the legendary duo Courtney Kupets-Carter and Suzanne Yoculan. The Gators put out a pretty great preview video on Twitter, showing fans how they’ve prepared for this moment:

    Both teams are ranked in the top ten in the nation, the 54th time this has happened out of a total 58 meetings of the two teams since 2003 – talk about highly contested! The Gymdogs lead the all-time series, 92-57-1, but since 2003, the Gators lead 31-21-1. Take note – that date is before the massive run of Gymdog success during the first Kupets-Yoculan era, when Kupets became the most decorated gymnast in the nation and the Dogs won five NCAA titles in a row, so even with all those wins included, the Gators still reign supreme in recent history.

    In addition to the storied Gator-Gymdog rivalry, tonight’s meet also features the Baumann sibling rivalry: sophomore Alyssa anchors the beam and floor rotations for the Gators, while sister Rachel is a freshman beam and floor specialist for Georgia. The two are very supportive of each other, but when it comes to competing against each other, they aren’t messing around. Reportedly, Rachel texted her sister to wish her a great day, but Alyssa wasn’t having it. She texted back, “Sorry, can’t talk to you. It’s rivalry week.” Same, girl.

    Another story of interest tonight is the crazy life of Trinity Thomas. Following tonight’s meet, she will be heading to Sarasota for a training camp at USA Gymnastics’ temporary national team training center at EVO Athletics. There, she will be contending for spots at both the Jesolo and Gymnix International competitions, where she would represent Team USA while still competing for Gator Nation. Very few gymnasts have ever competed internationally and collegiately at the same time, and hardly any Americans at that. The last NCAA gymnast to do so was Brittany Rogers of Georgia and Team Canada just a few years ago, as she participated in the selection process for the Rio Olympics. Around the same time, Oklahoma gymnast Brenna Dowell took a year off from college gymnastics to compete at Worlds in 2015 for Team USA in hopes of making the team for Rio, but was unsuccessful. Gymnastics analyst Spencer of the Balance Beam Situation makes an excellent point regarding Thomas’s participation at camp. Though cool, he thinks it’s a bit silly for her to attend. “Why have her go to this camp at all?” he writes. “If you want to see her current level [of gymnastics], just turn on the SEC Network.” Thomas has only slightly downgraded her difficulty level for college, often competing two E passes on floor (a feat only matched by one, maybe two other gymnasts in the country) and the same vault she competed in elite. Still, if she were to be assigned to a team for one of these competitions, she would add her name to a very elite list of gymnasts who will represent both their school and their country in the same competition season. In the words of one Twitter fan…

    https://twitter.com/samisadancer/status/1098764833271496704

    With all that said, competition tonight starts at 7pm. I’ll be giving you all the updates blow-by-blow as we go, so be sure you don’t miss any of the action! Tune into our Instagram story to see updates from warmups, and be back here late tonight for a recap of tonight’s meet, featuring thoughts from the Gators and head coach Jenny Rowland.

    6:29pm: Well, missed most of warmups, sorry guys. Parking was an absolute nightmare – if you’re still not at the meet and you’re planning on coming, please walk! Traffic and parking are terrible and most of the parking volunteers haven’t got a clue. Walkout is in 15, and we’ll be treated to a parade of alumni in the meantime. I’ll let you know which former stars are in attendance tonight, and I’ll have lineups for you shortly!

    https://twitter.com/mycluttereddesk/status/1099091405643935744

    6:40pm: Lineups for the meet! Gowey still out – I plan to ask at the end of the meet what’s up with her. I think these are the same lineups they used last week, except vault – Chant is for Cheney, so that gives Florida a lineup of all 10.0 starts!!

    EDIT: Just the third team in the nation to do so, after Oklahoma and Nebraska, since the devaluation of the full. Georgia is giving Alyssa Perez-Lugones a shot at floor tonight, but things there otherwise look normal.

    6:42pm: Some awesome alumni in the house tonight – including Melanie Sinclair, Alaina Johnson, Bridgey Caquatto, Alex McMurtry, Kennedy Baker, and of course, current team manager Rachel Slocum. They recognized all the individual NCAA title winners as well as all the recipients of perfect scores in their careers, but they had probably forty ladies out there. The lasting power of Gator Nation is truly remarkable.

    6:46pm: Just saw Yoculan walk out with Georgia – she just EXUDES power. Dressed in all black, clacking along in her platform heels, you can tell that she is not to be trifled with. She looks completely unfazed, despite the fact that this is her first visit to the renovated O-Dome with the new technology and intro spectacle.

    6:58pm: We start in just a few! Gymdogs are looking good on bars – they’re in all black tonight. Oops, jinxed her. Al-Hameed just went a lil too big on her Tkachev and came off the bar, and then put her hands down on her dismount. Hopefully now she has the jitters out.

    7:01pm: Here we go y’all!

    Chant, VT: Tsuk full, chest very low, hops in place with a leg up, trying to keep her balance.

    Roberts, UB: Maloney to bail, solid. Good last handstand, DLO nice and floaty, little step back.

    7:03pm: Reed, VT: Y1.5, deep landing, large step forward, but not really a lunge like she’s done a few times.

    Schild, UB: good first handstand, toe on, Ray, lovely! Pak, nice. More good handstands. Girl is a machine. DLO, a little short and bounced forward, stepped back to salute.

    7:05pm: A Baumann, VT: Deep landing there again, a little off to the side. One step forward. Block was not great in the replay.

    Snead, UB: Good tkachev, bail is straight on. Great last handstand, DLO stuck! What a pro.

    7:07pm: Schoenherr, VT: Y1.5, one of her good ones, just a little hop forward. That’s an improvement!

    Al-Hameed, UB: Gorgeous first handstand. Full pirouette, Tkachev just flooooats, wow. Bail is great, nice and slow into the toe-on to squat on. Double tuck stuck! That’s a beauty.

    7:08pm: Boren, VT: Y1.5, another good one! Just a small step back.

    Dickson, UB: First handstand maybe a little shy, tried to go too big on her Ray and absolutely ate it, yikes. Whole arena cheering for her as she gets back up to go again. Rest of her routine goes without incident, full-twisting double lay dismount and sticks it cold. Ugh, what could have been.

    7:10pm: Thomas, VT: Y1.5, tooons of power and big hop forward and off to the side. Shouldn’t be as good as Boren, but we’ll see. Scoring is already out of control.

    Oakley, UB: Great first handstands, blind change is great. Jaeger is huge, pak gorgeous. Full in, stuck! Great comeback after a long wait for Dickson’s 9.2 score.

    AFTER ONE: Florida trails 49.275 to Georgia’s 49.3. Whooooooo, y’all. I told you this would be a good one.

    7:20pm: Here comes rotation two, y’all ready?

    Magee, VT: FTY, little hop back. A good start for them!

    Boren, UB: Tkachev is good, good handstand following. Bail locks into place. Short on last handstand. DLO dismount, Owen was standing in my way so I didn’t see if she stuck or stepped. Replay shows a stick I think.

    7:22pm: Ward, VT: Tsuk full like Chant, nice. Another hop on the landing.

    Hundley, UB: Good first handstand, Maloney soars. Pak is good – did she brush her foot? I thought I saw a break in her momentum, maybe I’m seeing things. Van Leeuwen is good. Full in stuck! Let me watch the replay. Dang, didn’t show it.

    7:24pm: Vega, VT: FTY, maybe a little mushy in the knees. Hop back. Why is she still vaulting again?

    Schoenherr, UB: Blind change is good, Jaeger super high if a little close. Next handstand maybe a little shy? Bail is fine. Last one definitely is. Double front half out stuck! Wow, that’s hard to do.

    7:26pm: Dickson, VT: Omelianchik, I love this vault on her! Hop forward on the landing but otherwise lovely, great distance.

    Skaggs, UB: Great first handstand, Tkachev to pak is so aggressive, I love that about her. Handstands are just gorgeous. DLO stuck! That was picture perfect. Where’s the deduction?? From here, I couldn’t see any, though I couldn’t see if she had any leg sep on the pak.

    7:27pm: Lukacs, VT: DTY! Hop back. I love that she kept it for college, she’s such a powerhouse.

    Thomas, UB: Maloney to uprise, such power there. Pak is great, van Leeuwen same. Last handstand perfect, sticks DLO and the crowd goes crazy, people cheering for 10s and the coaches encouraging. Boos everywhere because they didn’t give it to her.

    7:29pm: Snead, VT: Y1.5, small hop forward. Jumbotron completely missed her because they were focused on Trin.

    Chant, UB: Good first handstand, flexed feet on the Tkachev but it was good dynamics wise. Bail is good, she is flying through this routine. Last handstand good. DLO, slide back. Still unsure why they’re having the replacement anchor, but whatever.

    AFTER TWO: Florida has taken the lead, 98.675 to Georgia’s 98.65. It is still so tight, guys. 9.9s for the last three vaults for Georgia (really? No separation there? I’m confused.) but Boren will still take the win there with her 9.925. Thomas again will take bars with her 9.975.

    7:37pm: Third rotation starts now!

    Skaggs, BB: Lots of arm waves but gets her double wolf around. Leap series is good. Bhs loso, breaks at the hips but doesn’t fall off. Woof. Cat leap side aerial back full, stuck. A good save, but not the lead they would have wanted.

    Perez-Lugones, FX: Double pike to open, solid. 1.5 to front lay, good control on the forward landing. This music is so high energy, okay here comes the dance. She wasn’t really matching the energy level before but she’s warming up to it. Double back to close, very nice! They’re all so happy for her, that’s awesome.

    7:41pm: Hundley, BB: Front aerial to sissone is good. Bhs loso, super secure. Cat leap to switch side, deep plie and waits for it. Roundoff 1.5 stick! That’s a good reset, they needed that.

    7:43pm: R Baumann, FX: Love the sass she’s bringing right off the bat. Double pike to open, good pop. Double tuck, a little stutter step back there, might have overpowered it. Double L to full turn, yas girl! 1.5 to front lay, dances right out, very nice! Another good one.

    7:45pm: Boren, BB: Gainer front toss, obsessed. Bhs loso, snaps her arms into place, she’s like “I am NOT moving.” Leap series good. Gainer loso is good. Cartwheel to gainer full, stuck!

    Snead, FX: Sticking with the double pike right now, wonder if her back is bothering her. Rudi to shushunova, gorgeous. Whip through to double tuck, solid. Not my favorite routine of hers, but I have high dance standards I guess.

    7:49pm: Thomas, BB: Switch half to beat, steady. One arm bhs to loso, straight on. Front aerial, puts the wolf jump connection back in this week! Roundoff double full, slide back.

    Lukacs, FX: DLO to open, great control on the landing. Dance series positions very sharp, nice. Whip to 1.5 to front lay, that’s a fun one! She’s so fun to watch. Double pike to close, and it’s the routine that keeps on giving, two fake endings in the dance before she’s actually done.

    7:52pm: A Baumann, FX: Onodi! Yes. Bhs loso, she’s off, tries to save it but falls. Damn. Not how she wanted tonight to go. Side aerial is lovely. Roundoff 1.5, stick! What a shame, the rest was just beautiful. Puts Clapper in a pressure situation for sure.

    7:54pm: Dickson, FX: Double arabian, her technique scares me every time on that, she barely got the punch for it tonight and had to stutter step back. 1.5 to front lay, dances right out. Gorgeous straddle positions. Double pike to close is good, finishes right in front of the judges, cute.

    7:55pm: Clapper, BB: Bhs loso loso, a little bit off but waits for it and stays strong, no wobble. Switch to split, lovely. Side aerial back full, little shuffle forward and chest down but it’s a hit! Team is stoked for her.

    7:57pm: Vega, FX: I’m obsessed with this routine, so amped to see it in person. Double pike to open, totally in control. 1.5 to front lay to split jump, gorgeous. Florida is all watching her put on a show, they recognize talent where it’s due. Double back, she shouts something as she finishes because she’s so pleased with her hit! Just fabulous showmanship.

    AFTER THREE: Georgia has retaken the lead 147.975 to Florida’s 147.85. That’s the biggest lead either team has had so far this meet. It’s gonna come down to the very last routine, I think.

    Also, in case anyone is interested in the rest of the SEC…

    What??

    8:06pm: Okay, here we go with the last rotation! It all comes down to this.

    Snead, BB: Bhs loso bhs, maybe felt a little off but masked it well. Switch to straddle, good. Punch front is good. Roundoff double full, slide forward.

    8:08pm: Schoenherr, FX: Double pike to open, totally floats that landing. Dance positions are so precise. 1.5 to front lay, good control. Jeremy Miranda is here tonight, I can hear him cheering for her even over the music. Amazing. Rudi, stumbles out of the landing for some reason, maybe overtwisted? But saves it, doesn’t fall or take a knee.

    8:10pm: Dickson, BB: Front aerial to straddle 1/4, nice. Bhs loso, leg comes up but she doesn’t fall. Switch to split, maybe a little short in her second split. Bhs 1.5 twist, stick! Not her best but she didn’t fall. Apparently still goes 9.85? Okay??????

    8:12pm: Hundley, FX: Whip double back to open, well controlled. Double pike second pass, and here comes the showmanship. Even Jenny is dancing along to this part, I love. 1.5 to front lay, dances right out and the crowd goes crazy – this girl is on tonight!

    8:13pm: Magee, BB: Cheney and Hundley are slow dancing on the floor, distracting me, oops! I saw Magee’s dance elements which were all lovely, side aerial to back full dismount, looked like a stick? Definitely a hit though.

    8:15pm: Reed, FX: Double lay to open is GORG as usual. She’s serving it tonight for real. Hitting every musical mark, almost better than she usually does. Front lay to Rudi, nice! She has something extra in this tonight, and if ever there was a time, it’s tonight. Double pike to close and the crowd goes nuts! Already screaming for 10s and it’s only the 3 slot…

    8:17pm: Oakley, BB: Bhs loso, a little lean but keeps it small. Front aerial, smallish leg up bobble. Split to split ring jump, oooh! Cartwheel to gainer full, stuck!

    8:19pm: Boren, FX: DLO to open as usual, just the pop out to lunge. 1.5 to front lay is good, controlled step forward. Dance is great, she adds a little record scratch motion just for tonight too! That’s great. Double tuck to close, crowd is already screaming for her. she’s gonna end up with a 9.925 and people are NOT happy.

    8:21pm: R Baumann, BB: Series secure. Wolf hop to switch leap, little balance check but that’s a fun one. Roundoff double full, stuck! Some lady just shouted “deduct for the wobbles” behind me. Girl, same.

    8:23pm: Thomas, FX: DLO to open, beautiful as always. Didn’t see if she did the full or double to front lay this week, I was too busy listening to same lady going “I’m sorry but that’s crap” to R Baumann’s 9.925. Double pike to close and it’s gorgeous as always, almost goes out but knows exactly where she is.

    8:25pm: Vega, BB: Keeping her cool through the arena noise like a pro. Front aerial to split jump, is solid. Moonwalk! Bhs loso is secure. Side aerial back full stuck! That’s a real 9.925.

    8:27pm: A Baumann, FX: Here we go, y’all. Double tuck to open still, I am dying for that DLO, it looked great at warmup. 1.5 to front full, a little crossed over on the landing and that could honestly be it, it’s so close. She needs a 9.9 to tie. Double pike to close is good. It’s gonna be tiiiiiiiiiiight y’all, oh my god.

    FINAL: Y’all, Georgia just upset Florida. 197.45 to 197.375.

    Vault goes to Boren with a 9.925, bars to Thomas with 9.975. Beam goes to Vega with her 9.95 (honestly not mad at that) and floor to Thomas with a 9.975 again. What does the girl need to do to get a 10???? She takes the all around as well with a 39.675.

    I’ll have more from interviews in the recap, but that’s it for the liveblog tonight guys! Thanks for joining us!