Florida Gators softball defeats FSU behind homers and Hightower

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 5 Florida downed No. 16 Florida State, 5-0, behind a one-hit complete-game shutout from Elizabeth Hightower at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium Friday afternoon.

In the Gators (14-0) first game against a top 25 opponent, Hightower (7-0) was lights out in the circle as she turned in her second complete-game one-hit shutout of the season against the sixteenth-ranked Seminoles (10-4).

The Monticello, Fla. native faced 25 total batters and only allowed three walks in addition to the lone hit by Devyn Flaherty in the 6^th inning of play.

Hightower was locked into a pitcher’s duel FSU’s Caylan Arnold (3-2) up until the 3^rdinning when Sarah Longley picked the Gators first hit with a leadoff single to left field.

Florida went on to break the scoreless tie in the 4^th inning thanks to Charla Echols. Echols gave UF a 1-0 lead over FSU when she turned on the 3-2 offering from Arnold and sent it over the right field wall.

The Seminoles went to the bullpen to start the 5^th inning and brought in Danielle Watson. Watson was able to get an early double play for the first two outs, but Cheyenne Lindsey started a three-run rally with a perfectly placed bunt.

Shortly afterwards, Hannah Adams followed up with a full-count walk to setup an opportunity for Kendyl Lindaman to break the game open. Lindaman, despite falling behind in the count 1-2, blasted a three-run home run off the roof of the bullpen in left field to give Florida a 4-0 lead.

Florida State attempted to rally in the top of the 6^th inning and had runners at 2^nd and 3^rd after a pair of batters reached via hit-by-pitch and Flaherty’s single, but Jaimie Hoover came up clutch in left field for Hightower and the Gators to get out of the jam.

Hoover raced in and slid to snag a sinking fly ball out in left field hit by Sydney Sherrill for the third out and to end the threat.

The Gators’ offense struck for one more in the home half 6^th inning thanks to a bases loaded RBI single from Lindsey to extend the lead out to 5-0.

From there, Hightower closed out the game with a pair of flyouts for the first two outs, a walk and a strikeout looking to end the game.

The two teams will play again tomorrow in Tallahassee at Joanne Graf Field on the ACC Network Extra at 6 p.m.