A special report from the UAA on the Florida Gators softball team:
STARKVILLE, Miss. – No. 5 Florida downed Mississippi State, 1-0, in the first game of the series Friday evening at Nusz Park. Redshirt junior Kinsey Goelz’s solo home run in the 4th inning and a complete-game shutout performance from Elizabeth Hightower (9-0) sealed the victory for UF.
The Gators (19-2, 3-1 SEC) picked up seven hits on the day and threatened to score early in the 1st inning with the bases loaded, but the Bulldogs (15-9, 0-4 SEC) were able to work out of the jam.
Hightower and Annie Willis (7-1) battled in a pitcher’s duel up until the 4th inning of play.
Willis was set to face the bottom of the Florida lineup and retired the first two UF batters before Kinsey Goelz stepped into the box for the second time of the evening.
Goelz (1-for-3) fell behind in the count to Willis early 0-2, but battled back to a 2-2 count before she lifted the sixth pitch offered from Willis over the left field wall to give the Gators the 1-0 lead.
The home run was not only Goelz’s first home run as a Gator, who transferred in from Mississippi State during the summer of 2019, but it was also her first career home run.
The Bulldogs attempted to tie the game in the bottom half of the 4th inning, but a savvy play by veteran outfield Jaimie Hoover foiled the chance.
MSU picked up a double and single to put runners on first and third with no outs. Hightower settled in against Carter Spexarth and worked a 2-1 count before Spexarth lifted a high fly ball deep down the left field line into foul territory.
Veteran fifth-year outfielder Jaimie Hooverpositioned herself in front of the ball in time just to let it fall harmlessly to the ground, which prevented Mia Davidson from tagging at third to tie the game.
Instead, Hightower went on to force Spexarth to fly out to Hoover in shallow left field, which was too shallow for a tag, and fielded a lineout back to the circle along with a groundout to Kinsey Goelz to get out of the jam.
Hightower and the Gators defense went on to hold the Bulldogs to just four baserunners over the final three innings to secure the team’s ninth shutout of the season.