Special report on the Florida Gators softball team:
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The fourth-ranked Florida softball team completed the series sweep of Missouri with a 7-4 victory Sunday afternoon at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
The Gators (47-8, 20-4 SEC) completed program’s sixth come from behind victory of the season when Kayli Kvistad belted at three-run home run, her fifth home run of the season, in the top of the seventh inning to break a 4-4 tie over the Tigers (28-27, 6-17 SEC).
Nicole DeWitt tied the game, 4-4, earlier in the frame with a RBI single to center field.
How It Happened
Inning
Score
Play
Bottom 2nd
0-1
The Tigers took an early 1-0 lead behind a trio of consecutive base hits. Regan Nash scored pinch-runner Delaney McDannold on an RBI single through the left side of the Gators infield.
Bottom 3rd
0-2
Missouri struck for an unearned run after Cayla Kessinger plated Brooke Wilmes on a single to right field.
Top 4th
1-2
Nicole DeWitt crushed her 11th home run of the season when she turned on the 1-0 pitch from Missouri starting pitcher Madi Norman.
Bottom 4th
1-4
Rylee Pierce pushed the Missouri lead out to 4-1 with a two-run home run with two outs.
Top 5th
2-4
Danielle Romanello came through with 6th pinch-hit base hit of the year and drove in Janelle Wheaton from second on her RBI single up the middle.
Top 5th
3-4
Hannah Adams drove in Ocasio, who came in to run for Jordan Roberts, on an RBI double in the gap at right center field.
Top 7th
4-4
DeWitt tied the game after she drove in Jaimie Hoover on an RBI single to center field. Jaimie Hoover pinch-hit for Alex Voss and drew a hit-by-pitch.
Top 7th
7-4
Kayli Kvistad belted a three-run home run to give the Gators the lead for the first time in the game. DeWitt and Lorenz scored on the play.
Standout Statistic
· The Gators hit a pair of home runs in today’s game. DeWitt hit a solo home run in the fourth and Kvistad hit a three-run home run in the seventh. It’s the third straight multi-home run game for the Gators and 16th overall on the season.
Notable Notes
· Florida finishes the 2018 season with a 20-4 record in SEC play. This is the third-consecutive year and eighth time overall that the program has won at least 20 conference games.
o The program now has an overall conference record of 404-186 (.684)
· The Gators scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning and it’s now the 30th time this season that the team has scored four or more runs in an inning.
· Nicole DeWitt scored her 186th career run as a Gator with her solo home run in the fourth and now ranks fifth all-time at Florida in runs scored.
· Natalie Lugo made her first career Southeastern Conference start in the circle and went 2.1 innings in the outing before being relieved by Ocasio.
Next Up
The Gators clinched the No. 1 seed in the 2018 Southeastern Conference Tournament and will play Thursday, at 7:30 PM (ET)/6:30 PM (CT) against the winner of No. 8 Alabama & No. 9 Auburn.
The SEC Tournament, held this year at the Mizzou Softball Stadium in Columbia, Mo., starts Wednesday, May 9.