Florida will look to bounce back tomorrow in Game 2 of this best of three Super Regional.
Downed, But Not Out: UGA Takes Game One of Super Regional, 3-0
Thursday, May 26, 2016 | Softball
Georgia topped the Gators, 3-0, in the first game of the best-of-three Gainesville Super Regional.
| NCAA Tournament Bracket | CBS4 - Gainesville NCAA Super Regional Digital Guide
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- No. 16 seed Georgia put up one run in the fourth and two in the sixth to down the top-seeded Gators, 3-0, in the first game of the best-of-three Gainesville Super Regional on Thursday evening in front of a sellout crowd of 2,084 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
UGA senior Chelsea Wilkinson threw a three-hit shutout for the Bulldogs (44-18) to improve to 26-7 on the season in the circle. Offensively for the Gators (56-6), freshman Amanda Lorenz and seniors Kirsti Merritt and Aubree Munro accounted for UF's three hits on the evening, while junior lefty Delanie Gourley (19-4) worked a complete game, allowing three runs on seven hits, giving up just two walks and fanning five Bulldogs.
The Gators strung together 24-consecutive scoreless innings to start 2016 NCAA postseason play before the Dawgs went up 1-0 in the fourth on a Maeve McGuire RBI single through the right side. McGuire struck again for Georgia in the sixth with her second RBI base hit of the evening, and Katie Browne followed with a one-run single of her own to push the UGA lead to 3-0 after six.
Merritt roped her sixth double of the season into the left-center gap with two down in the third to put a Florida runner into scoring position. However, a foul out ended the Gators' threat. In the seventh, a rally was brewing when sophomore Aleshia Ocasio drew a leadoff walk, but three straight outs for Wilkinson delivered Georgia the series-opening win.
The two SEC foes will meet Friday at 5 p.m. for game two. A Florida win would force a decisive game three at 8 p.m.
Team Notes
- The Gators are now 72-34 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including a 15-4 record in Super Regionals. During Tim Walton's tenure as head coach, UF is 67-22 in NCAA play and 15-4 in Regionals.
- Florida is now 14-2 in Super Regional games played at KSP Stadium.
- This is the eighth Super Regional that Florida has hosted.
- Florida went 24 straight innings of Super Regional play (dating back to May 25, 2014, against Washington) without allowing a run until Georgia's first score in the top of the fourth Thursday.
- Florida is now 20-6 this season against ranked opponents.
Postgame Quotes
Head Coach Tim Walton:
"This is the reason we condition and practice so hard, so we can build and instill toughness. With instilling toughness comes confidence. That's why we run so hard and push ourselves so much every day. I think that's why we train so hard in the offseason, so we're ready for a situation like this. We're facing some adversity as our backs are against the wall. We have to take the gloves off tomorrow and come out fighting.
"I don't want one person to be a hero, I want our whole team to be heroes. To be a hero, you've just got to do your job. It's not about going up there and hitting a three-run home run to win the ballgame, it's about doing your job. Whatever the situation tells you to do, do your job. I think that's the brick-by-brick mantra, you have to go out there and just take care of your business."
Series History
- Florida now holds a 35-24 all-time record against UGA, as the two schools have now met in every season in school history.
- Prior to this weekend, the Gators and Bulldogs have met in the postseason just once before, which happened at the 2010 Women's College World Series.
Next Up
The Super Regional concludes Friday with Game 2 at 5 p.m. (all times Eastern) and Game 3 (if necessary) at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. Florida Sports Talk will have the radio broadcast with Adam Schick (play-by-play) and former Gator All-American Megan Bush as the announce team. In addition, live stats will be available through Gametracker via the FloridaGators.com.
FOLLOW THE GATORS
In the Polls: NFCA | USA Softball
SEC Champions | | CBS4 - Gainesville NCAA Super Regional Digital Guide
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Head Coach Tim Walton on Twitter
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