Florida Gators softball sweeps LSU at home

Special report on the Florida Gators softball team:

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 5 Florida earned the series sweep over No. 13 LSU via a 9-3 decision in the series finale early Sunday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Cheyenne Lindsey (2-for-4) drove in a career-high five RBI and Elizabeth Hightower (12-1) hurled her eighth complete-game of the season in the win.

The Gators (24-3, 8-1 SEC) dominated the Tigers (18-11, 4-5 SEC) as the team churned out 12 hits compared to LSU’s five. Hannah Adams (2-for-4), Julia Cottrill (2-for-4), Emily Wilkie (2-for-4) and Lindsey all turned in multi-hit performances in the win, Jaimie Hoover (1-for-2), Baylee Goddard (1-for-3), Katie Kistler (1-for-1) and Sarah Longley (1-for-2) each tallied a hit.

Florida opened the scoring in the 1^st inning for the second consecutive game when Cottrill drove home Adams via an RBI single into the left field to give the Gators a 1-0 lead. Adams reached base to leadoff the game with a single up the middle to extend her career-long hit-streak out to 12 games.

Back-to-back walks issued by LSU starting pitcher Maribeth Gorsuch (2-1) to Wilkie and Hoover loaded the bases with two outs. Goddard then capitalized on the opportunity as she dropped in a two-RBI single down the left field line to extend the Gators lead out to 3-0.

The Tigers then made the call to the bullpen and brought in Shelbi Sunseri to quell the Florida rally.

After a scoreless 3^rd inning, the Gators offense kicked back into gear to score four runs on three hits to take a 7-0 lead. UF loaded the bases via an extra-base hit from Cottrill, a walk from Wilkie and a single up the middle by Hoover.

With the bases loaded, Longley drew and RBI walk to push the lead out to 4-0. Lindsey then sent the first pitch offered from Sunseri off the wall in left center field to clear the bases and extend the lead out to 7-0.

The Tigers avoided the shutout when they scored a pair of runs in the 4^th inning and one in the 5^thinning to close down the Gators lead to 7-3.

UF responded in the home half of the 5^th inning when Lindsey cranked her second home run of the year to push the lead out to 9-3. Longley was able to leadoff the frame with her first extra-base hit of the season with a double off the left center field wall.

Hightower closed out the game by only giving up one hit in the final two frames of play.

Next up for the Gators is a midweek contest at Jacksonville Wednesday, March 31, at 6 p.m. (ET).

Notable Notes:

• Florida improved to 35-35 all-time against LSU and 16-13 when playing at KSP Stadium.
  • Under head coach Tim Walton the Gators are 28-14 against the Tigers.
• This weekend’s sweep of LSU is the first sweep over the Tigers since the 2016 series in Baton Rouge and it’s the first since 2010 when playing at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
• Cheyenne Lindsey turned in a career-high five RBI in today’s win.
  • Lindsey drove in three in the 3^rd inning and her two-run home run in the 5^thinning.
• Hannah Adams went 2-for-4 to extend her career-long hit streak out to 12 games.
  • The streak is now the longest of the season and is tied for the 9^th longest streak in program history and tied for 5^th longest amongst seniors.
  • This is the second consecutive season two Gators have produced a pair of hit-streaks of 10 or more games. Cheyenne Lindsey turned in a 10-game hit-streak earlier this season.
    • 2020 – Kendyl Lindaman – 15 games & 10 games
    • 2020 – Charla Echols – 10 games
• Elizabeth turned in her eighth complete-game performance of the season and held LSU to just five hits.
  • Hightower hasn’t allowed more than five hits in 11 of her 12 starts on the season.
  • The Gators pitching staff hasn’t allowed more than five hits in 23 of the 27 games played this season.
• Jaimie Hoover is now on a four-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in the last six games.
• Julia Cottrill’s 2-for-4 performance was her eighth multi-hit game of the season and her fifth in the last six games played.
  • She is now 11-for-19 (.579) over the last six games played.
• Lindaman drew one walk in today’s game and has now reached base safely in 15 consecutive games.
• Freshman Katie Kistler registered her first collegiate hit when she dropped a bunt single in the 6^th inning.