Special report on the Florida Gators softball team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 6 Florida defeated No. 20 Minnesota, 2-0, in a Top-25 midweek clash on Wednesday night at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
A two-run homerun in the first inning by Kendyl Lindaman proved to be the difference in the Gators’ (25-6) win over the Golden Gophers (19-9) as Kelly Barnhill (16-3) posted a dominant night in the circle, managing to keep Minnesota’s offense at bay.
Offensively for the Gators, Lindaman, Hannah Adams, Jordan Matthews, Hannah Sipos and Jade Caraway recorded a hit apiece while Lindaman drove in the only two runs of the game, also scoring Amanda Lorenz with her homerun.
Kelly Barnhill struck out 12 batters on the night, including the 1,000th strikeout of her career, and allowed only three hits and two walks over 7.0 innings. This was Barnhill’s 14th appearance this season without giving up a run.
How It Happened – No. 20 Minnesota – W, 2-0
| Inning | Score | Play |
| B-1st | 2-0 | In her first at-bat against her old team, Kendyl Lindaman drove a 2-1 pitch over the left field wall to score herself and drive in Amanda Lorenz to get out to an early lead. |
Walton’s Words
On the moment Kelly Barnhill picked up her 1,000th strikeout. . .
“We have two pitchers in our history with over 1,000 strikeouts. So, that’s a pretty big accomplishment in college softball, especially for this program. I just wanted to let her embrace that moment for a second and then the girls came over and gave her a hug. It was nice.”
From the Players
On her 1000th strikeout . . .
“I really wasn’t thinking about it. I knew I was approaching it. I saw it in one of the articles, one of our game recaps or whatever, from before LSU. I didn’t really know where I was at and I wasn’t really focused on that. And then kinda when it happened, I was like, oh, okay. So, it was just kinda something that I really wasn’t expecting, so it was kinda nice.”
On what her teammates said to her in the circle after her 1000th strikeout . . .
“They were just so happy for me and proud because not a lot of people get to that benchmark. So, they were just really happy and congratulating me. And I just think, personally for me, I wouldn’t be able to achieve that without my teammates, without my catchers, without the coaches calling, and my pitching staff to back me up as well.”
On improving as the game progressed . . .
“I definitely found a pace near the end of the game. Near the beginning of the game I felt good about my pitches, but I wasn’t hitting my spots very well, so I was throwing a lot of pitches and a little bit more walks. At the end of the game I was really feeling myself, my body, the position where I was at and it was enabling me to hit my spots better.”
On hitting a homerun against her former team . . .
“Yeah. It does feel good. I mean, it was a good moment. You know, I’m still close to some of those girls, but I’ve put in a lot of hard work lately and I think it’s really paid off—not only just in this game, but this past week.”
On the pitch by former teammate Amber Fiser for the homerun . . .
“I wasn’t really looking. I would say [that] after catching her for two and half years, I know her pretty well. And just having a bunch of live at-bats, obviously, these past two years off of her, I know what she pitches me and what she wants to do. …she is a great pitcher, but I was expecting a pitch—it was a hitter’s count at that point—so I was expecting a good pitch.”
Standout Statistic
- Kelly Barnhill surpassed the 1,000-strikeout milestone tonight in the fourth inning, becoming only the second Gator ever to reach 1,000 strikeouts.
- She now has 1,006 career strikeouts and only trails Stacey Nelson (1,116 K’s) on the Florida all-time strikeout list.
Notable Notes
- Florida improved to 2-0 historically over Minnesota and 1-0 at home.
- The Gators won their only other matchup with the Gophers 15-2 (Six Innings) in Las Vegas, Nev. on Feb. 16, 2014.
- UF improved to 8-6 against top-25 opponents this season.
- Lindaman has now reached base safely in 30-straight contests.
- The only game she did not reach safely was the first game of the 2019 season against Illinois State on Feb. 8.
- The Gators 2-0 win tonight marks their 12th shutout of the season.
- Barnhill’s 12 strikeouts marks her sixth game with 10+ strikeouts.
- Tonight marks Kelly Barnhill’s 14th appearance without giving up a run this season.
- In those appearances, she’s struck out 94 batters while walking 11 batters and only allowing 20 hits over 61.2 innings pitched.
Next Up
Florida hosts Mercer in a two-game series this weekend with the first game set for Saturday at 4 p.m. at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.