SEC Opening Weekend - No. 3 Gators To Host No. 24 Missouri
Thursday, March 9, 2017 | Softball
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| Saturday | ESPNU @ 11:30 a.m. | Sunday | ESPNU @ 6 p.m. | Monday | SEC Network @ 7 p.m. |
| Live Stats | FloridaGators.com | LINK | |
| Radio | WGGG (92.1 FM/1230 AM) & WMOP (100.1 FM/900 AM) | LINK | |
| Tickets | FloridaGators.com/Tickets | LINK | |
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 3-ranked University of Florida softball team jumps into Southeastern Conference action this weekend with a three-game series against No. 24 Missouri at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. The first two games of the SEC Opening Weekend series will air on EPNU while the final game will air on the SEC Network.
The Gators (20-1) hold a 7-4 edge over the Tigers (11-8) in the all-time record section and won the last series 2-1 in Columbia, Mo. during the 2015 season.
Notables
- The Gators have hurled a total of seven one-hitters this season and a perfect game. The trio of Delanie Gourley (8-1), Kelly Barnhill (8-0) and Katie Chronister (1-0) have each recorded one-hitters. Independently sophomore Kelly Barnhill has thrown three this season (USF, 2/12; Northwestern State, 2/18 & Long Beach State, 3/2) along with Gourley's two (Illinois State, 2/17 & Fordham, 2/25) that included a perfect five-inning game against Iowa (3/2) and freshman Katie Chronister (Delaware, 2/12) has thrown one. Barnhill and Gourley teamed up for Florida's first combined one-hitter of the season against Lehigh (2/26).
- Barnhill scoreless inning streak of 45.2 innings was snapped this past weekend against Northwestern. The streak was a career-long for Barnhill and is the longest amongst active pitchers on staff.
Amanda Lorenz and Kayli Kvistad have extended their reached base streak to 21 games as the duo has reached safely in every game for the Gators this season. Lorenz is actually riding a 39-game reached base streak which dates back to the 2016 season. Sophia Reynoso is close behind with a 19 game reached base streak. - Junior Janell Wheaton caught fire offensively at the Judi Garman Classic as she was the only Gator to record a hit in all five games on the weekend. Wheaton's batting average of .667 (6-for-9) is the highest average produced during a weekend tournament by a Gator this season.
- Redshirt freshman Sophia Reynoso currently ranks 5th nationally in batting average (.456) amongst freshmen with at-least 50 at-bats and has the second highest average among freshmen in the SEC.
Game 1: The No. 1-ranked University of Florida softball team won its 16th straight game on Friday night, defeating No. 11 Missouri 7-6 at University Field. Sophomore southpaw Delanie Gourley worked five innings out of the bullpen to earn the win for Florida, which won Game 1 of a Southeastern Conference series for the ninth consecutive time dating back to last season.
After jumping out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Florida had to fight back from a 4-2 deficit to Missouri in the later stages of the game.The Gators won the game in the seventh. Taylor Schwarz was hit by a pitch before advancing on a Aubree Munro sacrifice and a Missouri throwing error before scoring on Kelsey Stewart's sacrifice fly to produce the final margin in UF's 7-6 victory.
May 01, 2015 at Columbia, Mo.
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Florida............. 200 310 1 - 7 11 0 (48-4)
Missouri........... 310 011 0 - 6 8 2 (37-12)
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WP - Delanie Gourley (10-1) | LP - Finucane (18-7)
Time - 2:40 | Attendance - 1807
Home Run MIZ - Crane, Sanchez 2, Walters
Game 2 | The No. 1-ranked University of Florida softball team won its seventh consecutive Southeastern Conference series on Saturday with a 9-6 victory at No. 11 Missouri. Freshman Aleshia Ocasio worked 6.2 innings to improve to 16-3 on the season, while sophomore southpaw Delanie Gourley recorded the final out to stave off a Tiger comeback attempt and notch her fourth save.
The Gators jumped out in front early over the Tigers and scored 8 unanswered runs thanks to a pair of Bailey Castro home runs in the third & fifth innings and an RBI bases loaded walk in the sixth. Castro led the team with four RBIs in the contest going 2-for-3 at the plate.
Missouri however made a late push in the sixth and seventh frames to plate five runs which closed the Florida lead down to 9-6 and before Gourley came in relief to shut the door with the tying run at the plate and two outs.
May 02, 2015 at Columbia, Mo.
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Florida............. 014 112 0 - 9 10 1 (49-4)
Missouri........... 010 003 2 - 6 9 1 (37-13)
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WP - Aleshia Ocasio (16-3) Save - Delanie Gourley(4) | LP - Finucane (18-8)
Time - 2:20 | Attendance - 2325
HR UF - Bailey Castro 2, Taylore Fuller
HR MIZ - Cousins, Sanchez
Game 3 | Following Auburn's loss at LSU on Sunday afternoon, the No. 1-ranked University of Florida softball team secured the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship. Florida (49-5, 18-5 SEC) finished league play a half-game ahead of Auburn (46-9, 18-6).
The Gators fell to No. 11 Missouri by a 3-2 (8 innings) score on Sunday at University Field in the teams' final regular-season game. The Gators came back from a two-run deficit to tie the game at two after four innings, but the Tigers used a walkoff sacrifice fly in the eighth to take the win.
May 03, 2015 at Columbia, Mo.
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Florida............. 000 200 00 - 2 3 0 (49-5)
Missouri........... 002 000 01 - 3 9 0 (38-13)
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WP - Lowary (18-4) | LP - Delanie Gourley (10-2)
Time - 2:20 | Attendance - 1702
ALL-TIME RESULTS
| MISSOURI | 7-4 | ||
| Home: 2-2 | Away: 2-1 | Neutral: 3-1 | |
| Date | Location | W/L | Score |
| 2/7/04 | Gainesville, Fla. | W | 3-0 |
| 6/5/10 | Oklahoma City | W | 5-0 |
| 6/2/11 | Oklahoma City | W | 6-2 |
| 2/22/13 | Palm Springs, Calif. | L | 4-3 (12) |
| 5/11/13 | Lexington, Ky. | W | 10-4 |
| 4/25/14 | Gainesville, Fla. | L | 5-3 |
| 4/26/15 | Gainesville, Fla. | W | 9-4 |
| 4/27/14 | Gainesville, Fla. | L | 5-4 |
| 5/1/15 | Columbia, Mo. | W | 7-6 |
| 5/2/15 | Columbia, Mo. | W | 9-6 |
| 5/3/15 | Columbia, Mo. | L | 3-2 (8) |
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