NCAA TOURNAMENT
GAINESVILLE SUPER REGIONAL GAME 3
FLORIDA 5, TEXAS A&M 3
WHAT HAPPENED: Freshman
Jordan Matthews hit a two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning, and the fourth-ranked Gators walked-off the No. 14 Aggies and now will run to the Women's College World Series after a pulsating and stunning 5-3 defeat of the Aggies in Game 3 of their NCAA Super Regional at Pressly Stadium. Matthews' heroics came one inning after A&M's
Tori Vidales tagged UF senior
Aleshia Ocasio for a two-run homer that gave the Aggies a 3-2 lead and sent the home crowd into a state of shock. Less than 24 hours earlier, Vidales hit a three-run shot against Ocasio for the winning runs in a 5-4 win Friday. UF came to bat in the seventh against
Trinity Harrington, with
Amanda Lorenz drawing a lead-off walk and
Kayli Kvistad a one-out walk two batters later. After
Janell Wheaton struck out looking, Matthews, the rookie from Anaheim, Calif., with just four homers on the season, blasted a 2-2 pitch to the opposite field, over the left-field wall and off the scoreboard, as the Gators stormed from the dugout for a mass dog pile at home plate. On a night when UF's two seasoned, upperclassmen pitchers didn't have their best stuff, a freshman had their backs.
PLAY OF THE GAME: Take a guess.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Take another one.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: A&M got eight hits against UF starter
Kelly Barnhill. Not only was that a season-high surrendered by the SEC Pitcher of the Year, but the most Barnhill had
ever allowed in her career. Three times this season (in wins over Maryland, A&M and Tennessee) she gave up five. In 2017, she allowed at least five three times (including six against Georgia and seven against Oklahoma in the WCWS). Just twice in her 2016 freshman season did Barnhill give up at least five hits. She also came in averaging better than eight strikeouts per game, but only fanned two. That's a testament to A&M, which acquitted itself as an exceptional Super adversary in these three, riveting games.
UP NEXT: Florida (55-9), the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA field, will head to Oklahoma City on Monday, with a full first day of competition (four games) beginning Thursday at noon. It'll mark the ninth time in the last 11 seasons -- all under Coach
Tim Walton -- the Gators have made it to the WCWS. For Texas A&M (44-18), which gave the Gators all the could handle in this Super, the season is over.
