Special report on the Florida Gators softball team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 4 Florida picked up a pair of victories over Villanova, 4-0, and Louisville, 9-1 (6 innings), Saturday afternoon during the second day of the T-Mobile Tournament at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
The Gators (9-0) picked up a complete-game performance from fifth-year graduate pitcher Natalie Lugo (2-0) in the win over the Wildcats. Lugo, a West Covina, Calif. native, only allowed two hits and a walk in the effort and struck out five for her first complete-game shutout of the season.
Offensively, Florida scored four runs on eight hits against Villanova. Fifth-year senior Hannah Adams (2-for-3) and junior Sarah Longley (2-for-3) each tallied multi-hit performances, while redshirt-junior Skylar Wallace, senior Charla Echols, senior Cheyenne Lindsey and freshman Reagan Walsh each tallied a hit in the effort.
The Orange & Blue scored a pair of runs in the opening frame as freshman Kendra Falby raced home when Adams was caught in a rundown between first and second base. Echols then followed up to score Wallace on an RBI single to right field.
Florida struck for two more in the 2nd inning via two-out error by Villanova’s shortstop who misplayed a fly ball, which allowed Wallace and Adams to score and extend the lead out to 4-0.
The Gators offense hit a different gear in their second game against Louisville. The team pounded out a season-high 14 hits and was led by Falby and Adams who both tallied 3-for-3 performances at the top of the lineup. Sophomore Avery Goelz and Katie Kistler each notched 2-for-3 performances at the plate, while Echols, Walsh, Lindsey and Emily Wilkie chipped in a hit a piece.
In the circle, freshman Lexie Delbrey (3-0) hurled her second complete-game of the season in the win over the Cardinals. The Bainbridge, Ga. native allowed only two hits, one run and five walks, but struck out eight batters in the six-inning contest.
Florida struck for one run in the 1st inning of play, three in the 4th inning and five in the 6th inning for its third run-rule victory of the season.
The Gators look to close out the T-Mobile Tournament Sunday at 2 p.m. against Florida A&M at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Notables:
* In game one of the second day of the T-Mobile Tournament, the Gators registered a 4-0 win over Villanova. The shutout was fifth overall shutout of the season.
* The Gators produced a season-high 14 hits against Louisville today.
* It’s the fifth game of the year that the team has tallied 10 or more hits.
* Natalie Lugo hurled the complete-game shutout, which was the first of the season for the fifth-year graduate right-hander.
* The West Covina, Calif. native has a total of eight complete-game shutouts in her career.
* It’s the first complete-game shutout for Lugo since she posted a two-hit shutout against South Alabama in the 2021 NCAA Gainesville Regional.
* It’s also the second complete-game shutout by a UF pitcher this season.
* Kendra Falby notched her second triple of the season in the Gators game against Louisville.
* The Odessa, Fla. native now ranks seventh all-time among Florida freshmen for triples in a season.
* The talented outfielder also leads the team with five multi-hit games after going 3-for-3 in the game against the Cardinals.
* Cheyenne Lindsey extended her hitting streak to eight games after today, while Charla Echols and Reagan Walsh also extended their hit streaks to six games.
* Hannah Adams and Falby both extended their reached base safely streak to nine games, while Lindsey has a streak of eight games and Echols is riding a seven-game streak.
* Sophomore Katie Kistler notched her first career multi-hit game and recorded the first RBI of her career against Louisville.