College Station, Texas – No. 6 Florida took the series with a convincing 8-3 win over Texas A&M on a windy Saturday evening at Davis Diamond.
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The Gators (35-9, 8-6 SEC) picked up a quality start in the circle from freshman
Elizabeth Hightower (3-0) and a clutch relief appearance from sophomore
Natalie Lugo. Hightower hurled five innings and held the Aggies (25-17, 3-11 SEC) to just three runs, two earned, and scattered five hits.
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Lugo entered in relief in the sixth with a runner on first and a 2-0 count on the batter and held off a late Texas A&M rally to secure the win.
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Offensively,
Kendyl Lindaman led Florida with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate with four RBI. Â With the score tied 2-2, the Ankeny, Iowa native broke the game open in the fifth with an opposite field three-run home run, her 14
th of the year, over the right field wall after
Jade Caraway and
Amanda Lorenz reached base via an infield single and walk respectively.
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UF pounded out 11 hits in the game with mulit-hit performances from
Sophia Reynoso (2-for-3),
Hannah Sipos (2-for-3) and Lorenz (2-for-2).
How It Happened – Texas A&M – W, 8-3
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Inning |
Score |
Play |
T–4th |
1-0 |
Lindaman drove in Lorenz for the first run of game via a double off the padded wall in left center field. Lorenz led off the inning with a single up the middle. |
T–4th |
2-0 |
Reynoso plated the Gators second run of the day after she ripped an RBI single off the glove of Baylee Klingler at third base. Pinch-runner Amanda Beane to score from second base on the play. |
B–4th |
2-2 |
Riley Sartain tied the game after she connected on the first pitch offered from Hightower and sent it up the middle past Reynoso's outstretched glove. |
T–5th |
5-2 |
With the wind whipping from left to right field, Lindman broke the 2-2 tie with a three-run opposite field home run over the wall in right field. Caraway and Lorenz scored on the play. |
T–6th |
6-2 |
Matthews cranked her second home run of the season after she sent the first pitch offered from Potts over the wall in center field. |
T–6th |
7-2 |
Sipos extended the lead after she executed a squeeze bunt that brought home a streaking Reynoso from third. |
T–6th |
8-2 |
With a 3-2 count, Lorenz drove in Hoover from third on a SAC fly to center field. |
B–6th |
8-3 |
The Aggies pushed across an unearned run via an RBI groundout to Adams in the 4-3 hole. |
Standout Statistic
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- The four RBI tallied by Lindaman in this evening's game against the Aggies is the fourth time this season that she has driven in four or more runs in a game.
- She has driven in three or more runs in a single game 10 times this season.
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Notable Notes
- Florida is now 20-5 all-time against Texas A&M and 8-3 when playing in College Station.
- This is the 12th time this season that the Gators have produced 10 or more hits in a game.
- Matthews cranked her second home run of the season, first since Feb. 17, against Central Michigan, in the sixth inning against the Aggies.
- Sipos is now 5-for-7 (.714) in the series against Texas A&M.
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Next Up
The Gators and the Aggies will complete the series Sunday at 1 p.m. (ET) at Davis Diamond. The game will be streamed on the SEC Network +.
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