Special report on the Florida Gators softball team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 4 Florida shut out Tennessee State, 6-0, on day two of the Bubly Invitational Saturday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. It’s the eighth shutout of the season produced by UF pitchers and the second one-hitter of the year.
Sophomore Haley Pittman (1-0) earned her first collegiate start for the Gators (19-1) and the left-hander delivered 4.0 quality innings of work against the Tigers (6-11). The Montgomery, Ala. native limited the offense to just one hit, a pair of walks and struck out two for her first collegiate win.
Pittman combined with Marissa Mesiemore and Rylee Trlicek for the Gators’ second one-hitter, first combined, of the season and 27th overall combined one-hitter in program history.
At the plate, the Gators found their groove in the 3rd inning of play and took a 4-0 lead over the Tigers to break the scoreless tie. Sophomore Katie Kistler started the rally with a double to left center field and proceeded to steal third for third stolen base of the season.
The Orange Park, Fla. native was driven home by fifth-year senior Hannah Adams’ one-out single off the diving stab by Tennessee State’s shortstop Lauren Farias. Adams quickly stole second and third base to move herself into scoring position and was driven home on senior Charla Echols’ fourth sacrifice fly of the season.
Freshman Reagan Walsh capped the frame with her second home run of the Bubly Invitational, third of the season, as she drove the 2-1 offering by TSU starting pitcher Raven Loveless over the center field wall to score herself and Skylar Wallace.
Mesiemore, a graduate transfer, relieved Pittman in the top half of the 5th inning and retired the TSU side in order to bring UF back to the plate.
Echols extended the Gators lead to 6-0 over the Tigers in the bottom of the 5th inning via a RBI single up the heart of the Tigers infield. The stroke scored Adams from second and moved Wallace to third, which set the stage for a sacrifice fly by Walsh for her third RBI of the game.
Mesiemore continued to deal in the 6th inning as she retired the Tigers side in order for the second consecutive frame. The Bushnell, Fla. native was relieved in the top of the 7th after 2.0 quality innings of work by Trlicek. Trlicek, a native of Hallettsville, Texas, retired three of the last four Tennessee State batters to close out the game.
The Gators are set to close the Bubly Invitational with back-to-back games against Coastal Carolina at 11:30 a.m. and Georgia State at 2 p.m.
Notables:
* Kendra Falby tied the record for longest hitting streak by a Florida freshman in program history with Kelsey Stewart.
* Kendra Falby – 12 Games (Feb. 19, 2022 – Present)
* Kesley Stewart – 12 Games (April 10 – May 3, 2013)
* This marks 20 straight games she has reached base.
* Haley Pittman started her first career game in the circle in Saturday afternoon’s matchup with Tennessee State.
* Set single-game career-highs with 4.0 innings pitched and two strikeouts.
* This is Pittman’s first combined one-hitter of her career.
* Hannah Adams collected her ninth multi-hit game of the season going 3-for-3 with a double and two singles.
* She also registered two stolen bases on the day improving her total to 11 on the year.
* The two stolen bases tie a career-high for the Hoschton, Ga. native.
* Reagan Walsh crushed a two-RBI homer, her third of the season, in the bottom of the third improving her base streak to 17 games.
* She has recorded an extra-base hit in three straight games and is on a four-game hit streak.
* Skylar Wallace improved her base streak to 11 games working two walks and a single in the contest.
* She has now drawn two walks in five games this season.
* The Gators stole six bases for the second consecutive game and how have 60 stolen bases on the season.
* The team led the nation in the category entering the weekend.
* Falby and Wallace have both stolen 19 bases so far this season.
* The last time Florida had two players steal at least 18 bases in a season was in 2017. Justine McLean (18-19) and Jacqui Switzer (18-20)