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UF Softball: No. 6 Florida Pitching Deals Shut-outs; Adams Provides Walk-Off Heroics

Hannah Adams’ solo home run in the 8th inning against McNeese was her second walk-off hit of the season and fifth for the Gators since 2020.

Courtesy of University Athletic Association

BY HERB BROOKS

No. 6 Florida picked up back-to-back shut-out victories over Louisville, 2-0, and McNeese, 1-0, in a Saturday afternoon doubleheader at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

The Gators (12-0) received quality pitching from Katie Chronister (5-0), Natalie Lugo, and Elizabeth Hightower (5-0, 1 SV) in both games, as the trio only allowed a combined four hits and one walk through 15.0 innings pitched today.

Chronister received the start in the first game against Louisville (3-6) and hurled 6.0 innings of shut-out softball with a career-high eight strikeouts. Hightower entered the game in the 7th inning against the Cardinals and shut the door when she retired the side in order to pick up her first save of the season.

Against McNeese (3-11), Natalie Lugo turned in her best performance of the season. The West Covina, Calif. native hurled 5.1 innings and limited the Cowgirls to just one hit before Hightower entered the scoreless game in the 6th inning with one out.

Hightower picked up her second win of the week by holding McNeese to just one base runner over the final 2.2 innings, which gave the Gators time for another walk-off performance by Hannah Adams.

Adams sealed the victory against the Cowgirls with her second walk-off of the season. The Hoschton, Ga. native blistered the 1-2 offering from Jenna Edwards over the center field wall with one out in the bottom of the 8th inning.

Against Louisville, the Gators scored a pair of runs in the 3rd inning to win 2-0 over the Cardinals. Jaimie Hoover reached with a lead-off walk and was moved into scoring position by Kali Reis on a SAC bunt.

Cheyenne Lindsey drove in Hoover in the next at-bat with an RBI single up the middle, and later in the inning Charla Echols plated Lindsey on a SAC fly to left field.

Next up for the sixth-ranked Gators is a midweek matchup with New Mexico State at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium Wednesday, March 3, at 6 p.m.

Notable Notes

  • Florida improved to 4-0 all-time against Louisville and McNeese with the two wins today at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
  • Hannah Adams and Cheyenne Lindsey both extended their hit streaks to six games.
    • That sets a new career-high for Adams and ties Lindsey’s career-high mark in the category.
    • Adams has also reached base safely so far in every game this season.
  • The pair of shutouts by the Gators today brings the season total up to seven for the club through just 12 games played.
    • The mark ranks inside the top five nationally.
  • The Florida pitching staff only gave up three hits to Louisville and just one to McNeese, which continues the trend of not giving up more than five hits in a single game so far this season.
  • The combined one-hitter by Lugo and Hightower against McNeese is the third one-hitter of the year by the Florida staff.
    • Hightower has held a part in all three one-hitters this season.
  • Katie Chronister’s 6.0 shutout innings against Louisville extended her streak to 22.0 IP for the season and 25.1 IP dating back to the 2020 season.
  • Avery Goelz hit her first career triple as a Gator against McNeese and also tallied her third multi-hit game of the season against the Cowgirls.
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