A special report from the UAA on the Florida Gators softball team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 5 Florida defeated No. 13 LSU, 5-0, to open the series Friday evening at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. It’s the fourth-straight shutout of an SEC opponent this season.
The Gators (22-3, 6-1 SEC) picked up a complete-game shutout performance from junior right-hander Elizabeth Hightower (11-1). Hightower scattered three LSU (18-9, 4-3 SEC) hits for her fifth complete-game shutout of the season and the third-straight of an SEC opponent.
The Tigers had their best scoring opportunity in the top of the 1st inning of play. LSU managed to draw a pair of two-out walks from Amanda Doyle and starting pitcher Shelbi Sunseri (5-3) to set the stage for a potential scoring opportunity.
Georgia battled with Hightower for 11 pitches before she sent a single through the left side of the Gators infield to put the runners in motion. However, the ball found its way quickly to Jaimie Hoover in left field. Hoover quickly gathered the ball and fired a shot back to Julia Cottrill at home plate in time for her to make the tag on the shin of Clark and spoil the scoring opportunity for the Tigers.
From that moment onward, Hightower and the Gators defense only allowed the Tigers to reach scoring position twice, once in the in the 3rd inning and once in the 7th inning.
The Florida offense was able to give Hightower some breathing room in the 3rdinning of play. Hoover produced a leadoff double, her first of the season, to set the tone for the inning. Cheyenne Lindsey then forced the Tigers to try and make a play on the speedy Hoover with her ground ball to Raeleen Gutierrez at first, but the throw by Gutierrez to Doyle at third was not in time and Lindsey reached safely as Gutierrez decided not to touch first base.
Lindsey promptly stole second base to put both runners in scoring position with one out for leadoff batter Hannah Adams. Adams tattooed the 1-0 offering from Sunseri back up the middle of the Tigers infield to score Hoover and Lindsey, and give the Gators a 2-0 lead.
The Gators extended their lead in the bottom of the 6th to 5-0 thanks to Cottrill’s first home run of the season. Charla Echols led off the inning with a single up the middle and Kendyl Lindaman followed up with a single to left field.
The duo was replaced by pinch-runners Katie Kistler and Sarah Longley to add some speed to the base paths, but in the end their speed wasn’t needed as Cottrill sent the first pitch thrown by Sunseri over the corner of the right-field wall for a three-run home run.
Florida and LSU return to action Saturday at 5 p.m. (ET) for the second game of the series. The action will air on ESPN with Mark Neely and Michele Smith on the call.