Special report on the Florida Gators softball team:
GAINESVILLE – Hannah Adams and Kendyl Lindaman combined for a trio of solo home runs Tuesday afternoon to lift No. 7 Florida past Penn, 3-1, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Lindaman gave the Gators (22-4) an early 1-0 lead over the Quakers (7-6) when she cranked a 3-2 offering from starting pitcher Jennifer Brann (5-2) over the center field wall.
Adams followed suit in her next at-bat as she led off the 3rd inning with third home run of the season that gave UF a 2-0 lead.
The pair of early homers provided sophomore right-hander Elizabeth Hightower (4-0) enough room to navigate through the Quakers lineup. Hightower hurled 3.0 innings of no-hit softball before she relinquished a one out single in the 4th frame and a SAC fly to center field that cut the lead down to one run. The Monticello, Fla. native finished the day with five strikeouts and only allowed a pair of hits in her third start of the season.
With the score at 2-1 in favor of UF in the bottom of the 5th inning, Adams pushed the lead back out to two runs with her second solo home run in as many at-bats. The Hoschton, Ga. native lifted the 1-0 pitch from Brann over the center field wall to extend the lead out to 3-1.
After the lead was extended Florida opted to make a call to the bullpen and brought in Natalie Lugo to close out the game. Lugo allowed only three runners to reach base and struck five over the final 3.0 innings for her fifth save of the season.
The trio of Adams (2-for-2), Lindaman (2-for-2) and Charla Echols (1-for-2) combined for five of the six Florida hits from the top of the order. Jaimie Hoover (1-for-3) accounted for the only other base hit in the contest.
Standout Statistic
Today was Hannah Adams first multi-home run game of her career. She entered the season with two home runs and doubled that total with solo shots to lead off the 3rd and 5th innings.
On the season the Gators have now hit eight leadoff home runs.
Notable Notes
- Florida improved to 1-0 all-time against Penn as this was the first ever meeting between the two programs.
- Lindaman extended her hit-streak out to nine games.
- The Ankeny, Iowa native now has a hit in 24 of the 26 games played this season.
- She has also reached base safely in all 26 games.
- Hoover extended her hitting streak to five games and has also reached base safely in the last nine games.
- Adams multi-home run effort today is the first of her career and she now has four on the season.
- It’s also her eighth multi-hit game of the season, but only her second multi-RBI game of the year.
- Today’s 3-1 win is the 15 game that the Gators have held an opponent to 1 run or less.
- The program also has nine shutouts on the season.
- The Gators enter tomorrow’s game ranked No. 7 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches’ Poll and in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll.
Next Up
Florida continues midweek action tomorrow in the first meeting of the Sunshine Showdown against Florida State at 6 p.m. and then a three-game series with No. 24 Baylor next Friday through Sunday.