Gators come back for a spot in the SEC Championship

A special report on the Florida Gators softball team from the UAA:

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No.1-seed Florida advanced the SEC Softball Tournament Championship with a 7-6 come-from-behind victory over No.4-seed Missouri Friday afternoon at Rhoads Stadium. It’s the 12^thcomeback victory of the season for UF.

The Gators (42-8) initially fell behind 1-0 after the 1^st inning of play, but rallied for five-straight runs to take a 5-1 lead into the final two frames of action. The Tigers (38-15) were able cut the lead down to 5-2 in the 6^th and retook the lead, 6-5, in the 7^th with four more runs.

Despite the deficit with only three outs left, Florida found a way for another thrilling walk-off win. The rally started with top of the order due up. Hannah Adams drew a leadoff walk and Emily Wilkie (1-for-2) reached after she was hit by the 2-2 offering from Missouri reliever Emma Nichols (6-3).

Charla Echols (2-for-4) advanced Adams and pinch-runner Katie Kistler into scoring position with a groundout to second base. That brought to the plate Kendyl Lindaman(1-for-3), who launched her 70^th career home run in the 3^rd inning that gave UF a 3-1 lead, and she delivered a SAC fly via a line drive to left field deep enough to score Adams from third and tie the game 6-6.

Kistler advanced to third on the play and Jaimie Hoover (1-for-3) stepped into the box with the game on the line. Hoover worked a 3-1 count before she drove a groundball to Jenna Laird at shortstop. Laird mishandled the ball for a split-second, which allowed Kistler to score the game-winning run and Hoover to reach safely at first base for the 7-6 walk-off victory.

Florida scored one run in the 2^nd inning to tie the game, 1-1, via a Baylee Goddard (1-for-3) RBI single through the left side that scored Hoover. Lindaman plated two more to take the lead in the 3^rd with her eighth home run of the season and second of the tournament and Echols was responsible for the two runs scored in the 5^th.

The Newnan, Ga. native produced an RBI double that scored Wilkie, then later stole home to give UF the 5-1 lead.

Natalie Lugo (16-2) picked up the win in relief.

The Gators will play the winner of No.7-seed Tennessee and No. 3-seed Alabama Saturday at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2.