No. 11 Gators Rally Late; Fall in Series Opener to Gamecocks
No. 11 Gators Rally Late; Fall in Series Opener to Gamecocks. Florida looks to even the series in game two tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The 11th-ranked Florida softball team rallied late but fell 13-10 at South Carolina to open the series Friday night at Carolina Softball Field. UF will look to even the series Saturday at 4 p.m. (ET) on SEC Network+.
The Gators (25-8, 3-4 SEC) battled the Gamecocks (25-8, 2-5 SEC) and rallied late with a seven-run frame in the top of the 6th inning to pull ahead 10-6, but SC responded with a seven-run frame of their own in the home half of the inning to regain the lead and take the opener.
Overall, UF tallied its 10 runs on nine hits, nine walks and a pair of hit-by-pitches, while South Carolina managed to score 13 runs, eight unearned, on eight hits, five walks and five hit-by-pitches. In addition, SC trotted out six pitchers with Bailey Betenbaugh (6-1) picking up the win with 1 2/3 innings pitched to close out the game.
After a scoreless 1st inning by both teams, Florida fell behind 4-0 in the bottom of the 2nd inning due in part to a pair of hit-by-pitches, a single through the right side, a walk, a fielding error and a SAC bunt.
The Gators rallied in the top of the 3rd inning to cut the Gamecocks lead down to 4-2 when Reagan Walsh doubled down the left field line to score Skylar Wallace and Charla Echols. However, the Gamecocks picked the pair of runs back up in the bottom half of the frame to extend their lead out to 6-2 on a Jordan Fabian two-RBI double to center field.
Both teams managed a scoreless 4th inning before Florida responded in the 5th inning to trim down the lead to 6-3 on Pal Egan's RBI fielder's choice that scored Wallace from third. Left-handed reliever Rylee Trlicek (8-2) held the Gamecocks scoreless in the bottom of the inning, which set the stage for the Gators seven-run rally in the top of the 6th inning.
Florida took the lead 10-6 after it opened the frame with back-to-back-to-back walks drawn by Sam Roe, Avery Goelz and Katie Kistler. Kendra Falby plated Roe and Goelz with a one-out base hit to center field, which was followed up by an intentional walk issued to Echols that reloaded the base. Walsh notched RBI number three for the evening with a four-pitch bases loaded walk that tied the game 6-6.
Emily Wilkie gave Florida the lead in the ensuing at-bat as she drew a bases loaded walk on nine pitches, which was then followed by a bases clearing triple by Roe that concluded the scoring for the night.
The Gamecocks struck back with a seven-run frame of their own, which included six unearned runs as the inning should have concluded on a Trlicek strikeout, but the ball went to the backstop and prolonged the inning.
Notables:
* Skylar Wallace stole her 18th base of the year in the 1st inning after an infield single. The Woodstock, Ga. native has now reached base safely in 29 consecutive games and is on a three-game hit streak.
* Wallace tied her career-high with three stolen bases as she stole her 19th base of the year after a bunt single in the 3rd inning and stole her 20th in the top of the 7th inning.
* Kendra Falby went 3-for-5, which is her second consecutive three-hit game of the week. * Overall this week she is 6-for-9 at the plate and is 43-for-103 on the season.
* Reagan Walsh tallied her sixth multi-RBI game of the year with three tonight.
* Sam Roe notched her fourth multi-RBI game of the season with three this evening.
(Special to 1st & Ten Florida by Florida Athletics)
