UF Softball: No. 7 Gators Complete Sweep of Auburn

Courtesy of UF Athletic Association

Freshman Rylee Trlicek became the first freshman pitcher in program history to record consecutive complete-game shutouts in her first two starts against SEC competition.

No. 7 Florida cruised to a series sweep of Auburn with an 11-0 (5) rout Sunday afternoon in front of 2,416 fans at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

The Gators (21-4, 3-0 SEC) provided ample run support for freshman starter Ryle Trlicek (9-2) when the team batted around the order in the 1^st inning. UF scored eight runs on seven hits and three walks before Auburn (14-11, 0-3 SEC) pitchers Lexie Handley (3-6) and Ashlee Swindle were able to get out of the inning.

Florida was able to tack on three more runs over the course of the game. Sophia Reynoso executed a squeeze bunt for a base hit that scored sophomore Cheyenne Lindsey in the 2^nd inning to go up 9-0, and freshman Julia Cottrill started a string of doubles, including hits by Cheyenne Lindsey and Jordan Matthews, that resulted in a pair of runs in the 4^th inning.

Trlicek scattered six hits over 5.0 innings of work in her second consecutive complete-game shutout of a Southeastern Conference opponent.

Despite the Tigers’ ability to place a runner in scoring position in all five innings, the talented left-hander was able to pitch herself out of every inning with the help of one of the nation’s best fielding defenses. The Hallettsville, Texas native forced nine of the 22 batters she faced to ground out.

Offensively, 11 different Gators notched a hit in the effort, while Lindsey was the lone player to record a multi-hit game, finishing 3-for-3 at the plate.

Standout Statistic

Freshman Rylee Trlicek became the first freshman pitcher in program history to record consecutive complete-game shutouts in her first two starts against SEC competition.

Notable Notes

• Florida improved to 46-22 all-time against Auburn and 23-5 while playing at KSP Stadium.
  • The Gators have also improved to 38-21 when playing in their first three-game SEC series of the season dating back to 2001.
• It’s the first time that the Gators have swept Auburn during an SEC Opening Weekend.
  • Today’s 11-0 result is the second largest margin of victory for UF all-time against the Tigers.
    • Largest was a 13-0 (5) win at Auburn on March 8, 2013
• All 11 Gators with an official at-bat recorded a hit in today’s game, with Lindsey being the only player to notch a multi-hit effort.
• The Gators scored eight runs in the top of the 1^st inning. It’s only the third time this season UF has scored that many runs in an inning. It’s also the first time UF has scored eight or more runs in an inning against an SEC opponent since April 29, 2016 against Texas A&M; the team scored 10 runs in the 6^th inning.
  • vs. Longwood – Feb. 15 – 4^th inning
  • vs. Southeastern Louisiana – Feb. 16 – 1^st inning
• Lindaman extended her hit streak out to eight games.
  • The Ankeny, Iowa native now has a hit in 23 of the 25 games played this season.
  • She has also reached base safely in all 25 games.
• Lindsey went 3-for-3 at the plate for her sixth multi-hit game of the season and extended her hitting streak to a career-high six games.
• Hoover extended her hitting streak to four games and has also reached base safely in the last eight games.
• Cottrill notched her eighth double of the season, the fourth over the last four games.

Next Up

Florida steps out of conference action for a pair of midweek games against Penn, Tuesday at 2 p.m., and Florida State, Wednesday at 6 p.m. They then have a three-game series with Baylor next Friday through Sunday.