UF Softball: No. 7 Gators Take Series Over Tigers in Extra-Inning Thriller

March 7, 2020

The Gators have won three games in 2020 via walk-off hits by Hannah Adams.
Photo by Tiffany Franco

Courtesy of UF Athletic Association

Hannah Adams’s third walk-off hit of the season lifted No. 7 Florida to a 2-1, 11-inning win over Auburn on a chilly Saturday night at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. UF also secured the series against AU in tonight’s win.

Sophomore Cheyenne Lindsey set the stage for Adams’ heroics in the 11^th inning with her single back to the circle, which was followed by Jaimie Hoover’s single to center field, and Sophia Reynoso loaded the bases when she reached on an error during a SAC bunt.

Adams drove the 2-0 pitch to the gap in left center field to plate Lindsey for the game-winning run.

The Gators (20-4, 2-0 SEC) were locked into a pitchers’ duel with the Tigers (14-10, 0-2 SEC), as starters Natalie Lugo and Samantha Yarbrough battled for 9.1 and 10.0 innings respectively. Lugo held Auburn to just one run on four hits and struck out nine batters before she gave way to senior left-hander Katie Chronister (2-0) in the 10^th inning.

With one out in the 10^th frame, Chronister inherited a runner on first and relinquished a laser single just past the outstretched glove of Charla Echols down the third base line before she settled in. Chronister struck out the next batter and forced a fielder’s choice groundout to Sophia Reynoso at short to get out of the jam.

The Tigers attempted to steal the game in the 11^th inning when a leadoff walk and a defensive miscue put two runners on with no outs, but Chronister worked her way out of the inning with a fielder’s choice SAC bunt put-out to third and a pair of swinging strikeouts.

Yarbrough was relieved in the bottom of the 11^th inning by K.K. Dismukes (0-1) after she threw 174 pitches and faced 42 Gators at the plate.

Before the contest went to extra innings, each team plated a single run in regulation. Auburn struck first in the 4^th when Brittany Maresette drove home Jadia Jones on a single to left field, and Florida tied the game in the 6^th frame on Lindsey’s clutch single up the middle to score pinch-runner E.C. Taylor.

Standout Statistic

With the series win tonight over Auburn, the Gators have 14 SEC Opening Weekend series victories in program history. This was the fourth when facing the Tigers.

2016 – at Auburn – won series 2-1
2013 – at Auburn – won series 2-1
2003 – at Auburn – won series 2-1

Notable Notes

Florida improved to 45-22 all-time against Auburn and 22-5 while playing at KSP Stadium.
- The Gators have also improved to 37-21 when playing in their first three-game SEC series of the season dating back to 2001.
Tonight was the longest game played for the Gators since the 15-inning game at Ole Miss on March 29^th, 2019
Lugo pitched 9.1 innings, the first time an individual Florida pitcher has pitched more than 7.0 innings since Kelly Barnhill vs. Tennessee on May 26th, 2019 (8.0 innings)
- Natalie Lugo pitched a career-high 147 pitches and 9.1 innings. Her previous high was 121 pitches, and this was her first game past a regulation 7.0 innings.
Lugo and Chronister combined for 12 strikeouts, which is a season-high for the program, and it’s the fourth game this season with 10 or more strikeouts.
- The Gators are 3-1 on the season when striking out 10 or more batters.
Lindaman extended her hit-streak out to seven games.
- The Ankeny, Iowa native now has a hit in 22 of the 24 games played this season.
- She has also reached base safely in all 24 games.
Lindsey went 3-for-5 at the plate for her fifth multi-hit game of the season and extended her hitting streak to five games with a game-tying single in the sixth inning, a career high.
Hoover extended her hitting streak to three games with a single in the third inning and had her first multi-hit game of the season with three hits tonight.
- She also extended her reached-base-safely streak to seven games.
Cottrill had a three-hit night with singles in the 4^th and 6^th inning and a double in the 10^th giving her four multi-hit games on the season.
- The double was her team-leading seventh of the year.
- She also extended her hit streak to three games.

Next Up

Florida and Auburn take the field for game three of the series Sunday at 3 p.m. on the SEC Network with Mike Couzens, Michele Smith, and Amanda Scarborough on the call.