Florida Gators

| SEC Network Recap | Game 1 Highlights
 
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida (33-2/8-2 SEC) was held to just five hits as Alabama (30-6/4-3 SEC) defeated the UF softball team on Friday night, 2-1, in the series opener at KSP Stadium. A season-high 2,109 Florida fans were in attendance on Friday night.
 
Sydney Littlejohn (13-2) earned the win as she allowed just one run in 6.1 innings pitch to go along with a pair of strikeouts. UA's Alexis Osorio relieved her teammate in the seventh and retired the only two hitters she faced to earn her fourth save of the season.
 
In the circle for UF, sophomore Aleshia Ocasio started and threw the first 4.1 innings before junior Delanie Gourley (10-1) relieved her and threw the final 2.2 innings. The duo combined to allow two runs on nine hits while striking out six Crimson Tide hitters.
 
Alabama opened the scoring in the second inning when Reagon Dykes walked, moved to second on a sac bunt and third on an infield single. With runners at the corners and one out, Alabama's Sydney Booker recorded an RBI fielder's choice to score the game's first run.
 
UF scored its lone run of the game in the fourth inning when senior Kirsti Merritt mashed her fifth home run of the season to right field.
 
UA and retook the lead for good in the sixth when Booker notched her second RBI of the game. The sophomore hit a double down the left-field line to score Andrea Hawkins, who reached base via a fielder's choice.
 
Florida had runners on second and third with two outs in the sixth but failed to score.
 
Team Notes

• Despite tonight's loss, Florida is still tied with its 2008 and 2009 squads for the best start to a season in school history with a 33-2 record.
• UF lost its first home game since LSU beat the Gators, 10-3, last season on March 15, 2015.
• Friday's loss marked the first time that UF dropped an SEC series opener since Missouri beat Florida, 5-3, on April 25, 2014 in Gainesville.
• Florida's senior class is now 206-30, which currently ranks eighth among four-year class records in program history.
  • Sitting seventh on this list is UF's 2013 graduating class that went 211-45 throughout its four seasons.
  • Taylore Fuller, Kirsti Merritt, Aubree Munro, Taylor Schwarz and Kelsey Stewart are trying to catch UF's 2011 class which boasted a 238-33 mark during their four years.

 
Stat Watch

• Florida's 32 runs allowed this season is the second fewest in school history through this point in any season.
  • UF's 2009 squad allowed 25 tallies through 35 contests and Florida's last two NCAA Championship teams had allowed 65 runs each, respectively.
• The Gators have made just 15 errors this season and currently sport one of the best fielding percentages (.983) and earned run averages in the nation (0.81). For comparison, Florida had committed 27 errors through 35 contests last season and had a fielding percentage of .970. UF went on to record a .981 fielding percentage and commit just 33 errors, which were both school records.
• UF did not allow a stolen base on Friday, remaining the only team in the SEC who has yet to allow more than three stolen bases in 2016.
  • In addition, three stolen bases is the fewest Florida has allowed in school history through 34 games.

 
Pitching Notes

• Aleshia Ocasio is now just 15 strikeouts away from reaching 100 for the second-straight season.
• Strikeout totals = Kelly Barnhill – 106, Delanie Gourley - 106, Aleshia Ocasio - 85
  • They are looking to become the second trio in school history to all record 100+ strikeouts in a season.
  • UF achieved this feat last season when Lauren Haeger (214), Aleshia Ocasio (155) and Delanie Gourley (105) all reached the century mark.
  • Barnhill became the fifth Gator freshman in six years to record 100+ strikeouts last weekend at LSU.
• Florida's pitching trio has now combined to allow just 32 runs, while they have totaled 297 strikeouts. Both of those numbers lead the SEC.
• Ocasio had her scoreless innings streak snapped at 20 innings after she allowed one run in the second inning on Friday. That marked tied her season and career long.

 
Hitting Notes

• Hitting Streaks:
  • Kirsti Merritt – three games (ties season long)
• Amanda Lorenz, who's currently hitting .398, is on pace to record the highest batting average for a freshman in school history. In addition, she could become the first rookie in program history to have an on-base percentage over .500.
  • Kelsey Stewart holds the batting title as she hit .378 during her freshman season in 2013.
• Kirsti Merritt's home run tied her with Janell Wheaton and Kayli Kvistad for the team lead with five.
  • The homer was her second in SEC play this season.

 
Coaches' Corner
Head Coach Tim Walton:
On Alabama's win…
"It was a good game, good energy. I think the team that played better, won. They (Alabama) hit better, made better defensive plays and they pitched better. The better team won tonight's game."
 
On differences in the game…
"They (Alabama) took a couple of hits away from us on some good defensive plays. They got a couple of nice hits early in the game. They left eight runners on base, we left seven runners on base and Alabama got two hits with runners in scoring position and we had zero. That was the difference. "
 
Series History

• Despite Friday's loss, Florida has still won four of the past six meetings between the two schools, but Alabama holds the all-time series lead, 34-30, including a 15-10 mark in Gainesville, Fla.
• Prior to last season's three-game matchup in Tuscaloosa, UF and UA last met in the 2014 Women's College World Series Championship Series when Florida swept Alabama to capture its first NCAA Championship.

 
Next Up
This series continues tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2 and it can be heard on Florida Sports Talk (WGGG-AM & WMOP-AM/FM. Live stats links for the contest can be found on the Gators' schedule page.
 
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