GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Sophomore second baseman Hannah Adams had three hits Friday, providing one of the bright spots for host Florida in an otherwise deflating 3-2 nine-inning loss to Tennessee that knotted their best-of-three NCAA Super Regional at a game a piece, despite a Pressly Stadium rowdy record turnout of 3,140. 

In the post-game news conference, Adams was asked about her recent offensive hot streak, one that has seen her bat .382 over the last 11 games and raise her season's average .25 points (.262 to .287) over three weekends. 

"My entire mindset, I feel, has been working for me," said Adams, who is making good on focusing on the present rather than anything that happened in the recent past. "The last game doesn't matter. I didn't have the best game [Friday, going 0-for-4], and it didn't matter. Just take it at-bat by at-bat, pitch by pitch." 

That's been kind of a mantra for this Florida team during a postseason run that saw the Gators, after finishing with their worst league record since 2002, storm to a Southeastern Conference Tournament title as a No. 6 seed, sweep through three shutout wins in last weekend's NCAA Tournament opening rounds, then beat Tennessee in Friday's Game 1. 

And it's exactly that nothing-matters-but-the-now attitude the Gators (48-16) must embrace when they roll onto the field Sunday afternoon at KSP — with the heat index expected upward of 100 degrees — and stare down the Lady Vols (43-16) with a berth in the Women's College World Series on the line. How well the home team can do so may very well depend on how much senior stalwart Kelly Barnhill has left in the tank, after throwing a combined 280 pitches over 15 1/3 innings on consecutive nights. 

UT got to Barnhill for a run in the first inning, just the second she'd allowed in eight postseason appearances, and another run in the fourth, and thanks to a stellar performance from Caylan Arnold was deadlocked with UF at 2-all when the Lady Vols came to bat in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Barnhill walked back-to-back batters, putting the winning run at second. 

Out of the dugout came Tim Walton. 

"Gassed," the UF coach said of Barnhill. "When you're calling rise balls and they're bouncing, that's when you know." 

Barnhill, who came into the game with a 5-0 postseason mark and 0.16 ERA in seven appearances, left to a standing ovation. She'd kept the Gators in the game, working out of some high-level jams, but never playing from in front — UF trailed 1-0 and 2-1 — as opposed to the two-run edge her teammates handed her in the first inning the night before on the way to a 3-0 victory. Enter junior lefty Katie Chronister, with all of 10 innings of work this season and an obvious stranger to such high-stress, high-pressure moments. Chelsea Seggern singled to right, with the winning run holding at third. 

Bases loaded. 

Enter sophomore Natalie Lugo, with 75.1 innings of work to date, but only 10 tastes (and 16 2/3 innings) of the SEC this season. Lugo worked a full count to Haley Bearden, but threw outside for ball four, walking home Aubrey Leach with the winning run. 

Three hours, 52 minutes of softball was over.

"They fought and fought and Caylan Arnold pitched a gem," UT coach Karen Weeks said of her players. "We struggled to get that run across, like Florida did, as both teams left a lot of runners on base. We kept giving ourselves opportunities and finally came through there."

Weeks went on to use the word "fight" a bunch. The Lady Vols definitely put up one. 

Now, the Gators will have to. 

And like they've been saying the last few weeks, nothing that's happened to date matters at all — with the notable exception, of course, of Barnhill's status. 

Anyone expect her to be in the circle? 

"Kelly always wants the ball," Adams said. 

With UF's season — and her college career — in the balance, Barnhill's going to want it Sunday, but the Gators have rested freshman Elizabeth Hightower (4-1 record, 1.88 ERA) perhaps, to trot out first as a bridge to Barnhill, who after throwing a complete game Friday was the last to leave the clubhouse and probably did a repeat of her post-game treatment Saturday. She had to be one exhausted young lady. 

Walton said Barnhill's status will be a game-time decision. If it comes to it, she likely won't step aside so easily. That needs to be the Gators' resolve, as well. 

It's one game for a trip to Oklahoma City. 

And nothing that's happened to date matters in the least. No wins, no losses, no statistics. Nothing, but guts and want-to. 

"The team that trains the hardest and toughest and can erase the fear, panic and confusion of what [Game 3] can bring is going to be victorious," Walton said. "I told my team, at the end of the game, 'Just let this [one] go. Be as tough as you can. Don't let this game affect your insides, your heartbeat. Just come back out and make things happen.' "