Special Report on the Florida Gators softball team:
OXFORD, Miss. – No. 6 Florida battled with No. 22 Ole Miss for 15 innings and prevailed with a 5-2 victory at the Ole Miss Softball Complex Friday night.
The Gators (29-6, 3-4 SEC) picked up the crucial game one win behind a strong performance in the circle from senior right-handed pitcher Kelly Barnhill (19-3) and a timely three-run home run from junior Kendyl Lindaman in the 15th-inning.
Barnhill’s complete-game effort was a career-high and UF single game record in innings pitched for the Marietta, Ga. native and she only seemed to grow stronger as the game went along.
Offensively, UF broke the tie when leadoff batter Jade Caraway sent the 2-1 pitch from Molly Jacobsen (10-2) down the left line. Hannah Adams moved Caraway into scoring position after she put down a SAC bunt on the first pitch offered.
With a base open, Jacobsen fell behind to Amanda Lorenz 2-0 in the count which prompted Ole Miss (22-9, 3-3 SEC) to just intentionally walk the left-handed slugger and bring Lindaman to the plate.
The Rebels attempted to rally in the bottom of the inning in their last at-bat but the Gators defense cut down a runner at home for the second to last out and a fly ball in foul territory to left field sealed the victory.
How It Happened – No. 22 Ole Miss – W, 5-2
| Inning | Score | Play |
| T-2nd | 1-0 | Roberts put Florida out in front after she crushed a 1-1 changeup from Ole Miss pitcher Brittany Finney over the left field wall. |
| T-4th | 2-0 | With one out and the bases loaded, Reynoso produced an extra run for the Gators via a SAC fly to deep left center field to score pinch-runner Amanda Beane. |
| B-5th | 2-2 | Kylan Becker tied the game with a single up the middle that scored pinch-runner Keisha Loftin and Kaylee Horton. |
| T-15th | 5-2 | Lindaman put the Gators ahead for good with a three-run home run over the left field wall that scored Caraway and Lorenz. |
Standout Statistic
- Tonight’s game is the longest SEC game in history for the Gators and it is tied for the second longest game in program history.
- 17 innings – vs. Oklahama – June 5, 2017
- 15 innings – vs. Nebraska – June 1, 2013
- 15 innings – vs. Ole Miss – March 29, 2019
Notable Notes
- Gators all-time record against the Rebels is now 49-9 and 22-5 in Oxford.
- UF extended their win streak over the Rebels in Oxford to 14 games.
- The last loss in Oxford occurred March 31, 2007.
- UF extended their win streak over the Rebels in Oxford to 14 games.
- Gators are now 9-6 against top-25 opponents this season.
- UF improved to 3-0 in extra-inning games this season.
- Tonight’s game is the longest SEC game in history for the Gators and it is tied for the second longest game in program history.
- Barnhill picked up her 19th win of the season and is tied for first in the nation.
- With 17 strikeouts against the Rebels this evening, Barnhill upped her career strikeout total to 1,034.
- The 17 strikeouts are a season-high for Barnhill.
- Tonight is the sixth game of the year that Barnhill has hurled 10 or more strikeouts.
- She struck out the side in the 10thand 11th innings and has now struck out the side 20 times on the year.
- The Gators rank second in the nation in total strikeouts with 309 on the season.
- Lindaman reached base-safely streak 34 games.
- The only game she did not reach base safely was the season opener against Illinois State Feb. 8, 2019.
- Lindaman has also hit nine home runs in the last 10 games with five occurring against top-25 opponents.
- Jordan Roberts produced a career-high three hits in the game against the Rebels and notched her sixth home run of the season.
- Opposing teams have elected to pitch around Lorenz lately and she has drawn at least one walk in 15 of the last 17 games.