GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 7 Florida split its doubleheader with Mississippi State on Saturday, with MSU winning 4-2 in game one and UF winning 2-0 in game two, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Though the Gators (40-15, 12-12 SEC) lost the first two games with the Bulldogs (32-20, 9-15 SEC), they were able to close out the series with a win and a bit of momentum heading into SEC Tournament play.
In game one, Florida mustered only four hits and two runs as Mississippi State's Grace Fagan (7-7) kept the home team in check for most of the game.
Kelly Barnhill (27-11) kept the Gators in the game with three scoreless innings of work early on, but the Bulldogs strung together four runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to secure a win.
Elizabeth Hightower's (4-1) career-night helped UF to an important victory in the second game of the evening.
Hightower posted seven innings, a career-high, while allowing six hits, striking out three, walking one and allowing no runs. The freshman was unhittable for most of the night, only needing two runs from the offense to ensure a victory to avoid the sweep.
The bats came alive in game two for seven hits, with
Amanda Lorenz recording two hits for her 20th multi-hit game of the season.
The Gators turn their attention to the SEC Tournament where they'll look to defend last season's SEC crown and gear up for the postseason.
How It Happened (Game One) - Mississippi State - L, 4-2
| Inning |
Score |
Play |
T-4th |
0-2 |
After three innings of scoreless ball, the Bulldogs opened the scoring after Kat Moore hit a two-run home run to right field to score herself and Fa Leilua. |
T-5th |
0-3 |
The Bulldogs extended their lead in the fifth inning when Bevia Robinson tripled to right field, driving in Grace Dabbs. |
T-6th |
0-4 |
The Bulldogs continued to make noise in the sixth inning, loading the bases with one. From there, Montana Davidson hit a sac-fly to left field to score Leilua. |
B-7th |
2-4 |
The Gators made a little noise in the seventh inning when Jaimie Hoover doubled down the left field, after the ball bounced off of third base, to score Amanda Lorenz and Alex Voss. |
How It Happened (Game Two)- Mississippi State - W, 2-0
Standout Statistic
- In game two of the doubleheader, Elizabeth Hightower posted a career-high 7.0 innings pitched en route to her fourth win of the season.
- Hightower posted her first complete-game, seven inning, shutout of her career.
Notable Notes
- Despite losing the series, Florida holds a 37-21 record historically over Mississippi State with a 20-10 record at home.
- Amanda Lorenz has reached base safely in 16-straight games.
- Lorenz has now reached base safely in 242 of 253 games in her collegiate career.
- After her triple in the first game of the doubleheader, Lorenz now has 12 triples for her career.
- Lorenz also leads the team in multi-hit games with 20 this season.
- Kendyl Lindaman has now reached base safely in 13-straight games.
- The Gators are now 18-4 in doubleheaders this season.
Next Up
Florida travels to Davis Diamond in College Station, Texas, for the SEC Tournament. The Gators are set to play on Wednesday with time and opponent TBD.
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