Special report on the Florida Gators softball team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No.3 Gators picked up a pair of wins on the second day of the Bubly Invitational with decisions over Illinois State, 10-2, and Syracuse, 8-0, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
In the first game against the Redbirds (1-12), an incredible day at the plate for senior Alex Voss was key in the Gators (16-0) fourth win over ISU this season.
Voss went 2-for-2 at the dish with career-high four RBI and two runs scored thanks to a triple and home run to lead the Gators in game one of the day.
Natalie Lugo improved to 6-0 on the year with a good performance in the circle after she struck out five, walked one and allowed only five hits over 5.0 innings.
Later in the afternoon, the Gators took on the Orange (4-7) to amass their second win of the day. Senior Amanda Lorenz got the Gators on the board early with her third leadoff home run of the year.
Junior Kendyl Lindaman recorded four RBI with a grand slam to left field that expanded the Gators lead 6-0 later in the fourth. A double to right center field by Hannah Adams and a triple by Voss later in the sixth, secured the victory for the Gators 8-0 over the Orange.
Kelly Barnhill went 6.0 innings in the circle and only three hits, no runs and no walks, while she struck out five. Barnhill improved to 8-0 for the year.
How It Happened – Illinois State- W, 10-2 (6 Innings)
| Inning | Score | Play |
|---|---|---|
| B-2nd | 1-0 | Hannah Sipos plated UF’s first run after she laid down a perfect bunt to score Jaimie Hoover and give the Gators an early lead. |
| B-2nd | 2-0 | To continue the scoring, Lorenz ripped a ball to second base for a fielder’s choice that allowed Hannah Adams to score. |
| T-3rd | 2-1 | The Redbirds pulled one run back when Ellie Weltha hit a solo-shot over the left field fence. |
| B-3rd | 5-1 | With two on and one out, Voss answered back in the bottom of the inning with a three-run home run to left field to extend the Gators lead. |
| T-5th | 5-2 | Illinois State made noise in the fifth with an RBI single up the middle from Mack Leonard which scored Michele Calabreese to tighten up the game. |
| B-5th | 6-2 | Back-to-back triples to start the inning by Voss and Danielle Romanello scored Voss to grab a run back for Florida. |
| B-5th | 7-2 | Cheyenne Lindsey drove a ball through the left side of the field to score Amanda Beane and extend the Gators’ lead. |
| B-6th | 8-2 | After the Gators loaded the bases with no outs, Voss worked the count to get walked, which scored Jade Caraway. |
| B-6th | 10-2 | Continuing on with the bases loaded, Lorenz ended the game with a two-RBI single that scored Jaimie Hoover and Adams to win it for the Gators. |
How It Happened – Syracuse- W, 8-0 (6 Innings)
| Inning | Score | Play |
|---|---|---|
| B-2nd | 1-0 | Lorenz opened the scoring for the Gators with a leadoff home run to right field. |
| B-4th | 2-0 | With the bases loaded, Voss walked to first and scored Jordan Matthews for the second run of the game. |
| B-4th | 6-0 | Lindaman connected in the fourth for a grand slam that plated Hoover, Roberts and Lorenz to expand the Gators lead 6-0. |
| B-6th | 7-0 | A line drive double to right center field by Adams brought in Caraway to increase the Gators lead 7-0. |
| B-6th | 8-0 | Voss ripped a triple to left center field that plated Adams and secured the Gators 8-0 win over the Orange. |
From the Players
On the team hitting more home runs this season…
“I think that’s just a testament to how we’ve been working in practice. I mean, we’re definitely not up there trying to hit home runs, but up there trying to put a good swing on some balls that maybe are too far over the plate. So, we’re just trying to put good swings on balls and get runners on base and find a way to manufacture more runs and it’s been paying off.”
On Alex Voss’s performance today…
“Gosh, I was so pumped for her. She’s been hitting a lot of home runs in practice, so we were joking around, ‘it’s [going to] happen, it’s [going to] happen.’ And I think everyone was so pumped getting out of that dugout for her as she’s sprinting around the bases for her first home run. It was awesome, so excited for her. She deserves all the success that she’s getting. Really exciting.”
Alex Voss
On hitting her first career home run…
“Yeah, I was pretty happy. I didn’t really know it was going out. I knew I hit it hard and then I saw it going. By that time, I was sprinting. So, I was like: ‘I might as well keep sprinting the whole way.’ So, I think I made it around the bases pretty fast. It was exciting. I’m glad I got my first one, so I was excited about it.”
On her approach moving forward…
“I just hope I can keep it up, keep seeing the ball well. The ball looks really big to me right now so I hope I can just keep seeing it, keep working hard and hope to get more hits.”
Standout Statistic
- Voss posted a career day at the plate for the Gators as she finished 4-for-5 (.800) with her first career home run. Voss also notched her first career triple against Illinois State and followed up with her second against Syracuse in the next game. Overall she railed off six RBI and slugged. 2.200 with a pair of walks and a sac hit.
Notable Notes
- The Gators improved to 14-2 historically against Illinois State and have won their last 14 meetings with the Redbirds.
- That includes a 4-0 record against ISU this season where Florida has outscored the Redbirds 34-3.
- Florida now holds a 4-0 all-time record against Syracuse.
- UF is now 12-0 this season when playing in a doubleheader.
- Amanda Lorenz has reached base safely in 12-straight games.
- Kendyl Lindaman has reached base safely in 15-straight games.
- Before giving up a run in the 3rd inning against Illinois State, Natalie Lugothrew 15.1 innings of scoreless softball, which is the longest streak of her career.
- Alex Voss’ four RBIs against Illinois State is a career-high for the senior.
- Voss had a career day against ISU going 2-for-2 with four RBIs, two runs scored thanks to a homerun and a triple.
- Amanda Lorenz hit her third leadoff homerun of the year against the Orange.
- Amanda Lorenz first two leadoff homeruns came Feb. 15 at Arizona State and Feb. 20 at Jacksonville.
- The Gators recorded their second grand slam of the year with a home run to left field by Kendyl Lindaman.
- Hannah Adams recorded the first grand slam of the season for the Gators at USF.
Next Up
The Gators continue action at the Bubly Invitational tomorrow at noon against Syracuse and 2:30 p.m. against Florida A&M