Special report on the Florida Gators softball team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 4 Florida defeated No. 7 Tennessee, 8-0 in six innings, in the final game of the SEC Opening Weekend’s series with the Lady Vols at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
The Gators (22-4) defeated the Lady Vols (18-3) thanks to two home runs from Amanda Lorenz and a dominant performance from Kelly Barnhill (13-2) in the circle.
Offensively, the Gators scored eight runs with 10 hits. Florida started early on with a two-run home run from Kendyl Lindaman (1-for-3) in the third inning and never looked back. From there, Lorenz (3-for-3), Alex Voss (1-for-2) and Jade Caraway (2-for-3) helped pace the offense combining for six runs and five RBIs.
Caraway and Voss helped the UF offense immensely by being able to turn the lineup over and put the bat back in the hands of Lorenz and Lindaman.
In the circle, Barnhill went the distance, striking out 13 batters while surrendering only two hits and a walk, giving up no runs over 6.0 innings pitched. Her first four innings were as impressive of a performance as she’s had this year, striking out 12 of her first 13 batters faced, allowing one walk in the first inning.
Looking Ahead, Florida plays UCF on Wednesday before traveling to LSU for a three-game series with the Tigers next weekend. This win over the Lady Vols gives both the offense and pitching some good momentum moving forward.
How It Happened – No. 7 Tennessee – W, 8-0 (6 Innings)
| Inning | Score | Play |
| B-3rd |
2-0
|
Lindaman broke the deadlock in the third inning with a two-run bomb over the left field wall that scored herself and Amanda Lorenz. |
| B-4th |
4-0
|
One inning later, it was Lorenz who hit a two-run shot out to left field which also scored Jade Caraway to double the Gators lead over the Lady Vols. |
| B-6th |
7-0
|
The hits kept on coming for the Gators in the sixth when Lorenz drove her second home run, a 3-run shot, to center field to extend the lead. |
| B-6th |
8-0
|
Hannah Adams clinched the win for the Gators two batters later when her double to left field scored Jaimie Hoover for the victory. |
From the Players
Kelly Barnhill
On her performance today…
“I think I was really just hitting the spots and moving my ball around better. On Friday night, my ball was a little flat and my form wasn’t as good. On Saturday, I went into the bullpen and got some work in. Really worked on coming out straight, getting on my power line, and I think you could see the difference today.”
On the increase in strikeouts today…
“Yeah, I think we definitely got more strikeouts today on placing the pitches, working around the zone. Going in, going out, keeping that rise ball above their hands.”
On the run support…
“Yeah, I can definitely say that them scoring those runs and having batters on base makes my job a lot easier and it takes a lot of the pressure off. You don’t have to be as perfect. And it’s a lot more fun throwing out there when we have that run support.”
Amanda Lorenz
On the importance of winning the series finale…
“So important. Especially in this league, no game is easy in the SEC. But especially to go out and show that we have some fight. It was awesome. Pregame was awesome, felt much better vibes today and just the want to win picked up a little bit today in pregame warmups and stuff.”
On the contributions of Lindaman and Caraway…
“Super pumped about Kendyl’s home run, gotta give that a shout out because she’s been working really, really hard. So, to see her finally put a good swing on it was really fun to see. And then Jade Caraway was the reason for so many runs today. She turned that lineup over twice, where I wouldn’t have come up and had runners in scoring position if it wasn’t for her, so I credit her and Kendyl immensely for our runs today.”
Standout Statistic
- Amanda Lorenz’s two home runs today marks her second game this season with two homers in a game.
- Her five RBIs today is a season-high.
Notable Notes
- The Gators improved to 51-28 historically over Tennessee with a 26-7 record over the Lady Vols at home.
- Kelly Barnhill struck out the side four times today, the most times she’s retired the side via strikeouts this season.
- Barnhill’s 13 strikeouts today is her fifth time this season with 10+ strikeouts in a game and the team’s 11th time with 10+ strikeouts in a single game.
- The Gators are 10-1 when striking out 10+ batters in a game.
- Barnhill’s 13 strikeouts today is her fifth time this season with 10+ strikeouts in a game and the team’s 11th time with 10+ strikeouts in a single game.
- Kendyl Lindaman extended her hit streak to seven games today and has now reached base safely in 25-straight contests.
- The only game she did not reach safely was the first game of the 2019 season against Illinois State Feb. 8.
- The Gators are 13-0 when scoring 6+ runs in a game and 13-0 when hitting a home run.
- Today’s shutout of No. 7 Tennessee was the third shutout of a Top 25 opponent this season by the Gators.
- This is also the first time the Gators have run-ruled a Top 25 opponent and it’s the first time since May 31, against No. 7 Georgia at the Women’s College World Series.
Next Up
The No. 4 Gators host UCF on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.