CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif.– No.7 Florida concluded its stay at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a 6-3 victory over Nebraska at Big League Dreams park Sunday morning.
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The Gators (16-2) finished the weekend going 4-1 with three wins over Top 25 opponents.
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Down 1-0 headed into the 3
rd frame of the final game of the Mary Nutter against the Huskers (6-8), the Gators rallied to take the lead 2-1.
Julia Cottrill provided the spark with her leadoff double down the right field line and
Jaimie Hoover kept it alive with a one-out full-count walk.
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Natalie Lugo (6-1) worked out of a one-out jam in the 5
th inning of play. Nebraska produced a triple down the right field line with one out, but Lugo rallied in the circle to strike out the next two batters and preserve a 2-1 lead.
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Florida pushed across three more runs in the 5
th inning to take a 5-1 lead.
Hannah Adams drew a walk on a 3-1 count to start the frame and
Kendyl Lindaman roped a double down the left field line in the next at-bat to set up
Charla Echols SAC fly to left field.
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Jordan Roberts plated pinch-runner
Mia Buffano and
Baylee Goddard on a laser double to right-center field. Buffano enter to run for Lindaman and Goddard reached on a fielding error by the third baseman.
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Nebraska closed the lead down to 5-3 on a two-run home run to left field. The Huskers forced Lugo from the circle and prompted the entrance of senior
Katie Chronister. Chronister issued a walk to the first batter faced and the Husker found her way to third, but the Gators ended the threat with a pair of groundouts. Chronister earned her first save of the season.
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Cottrill's day at the wasn't over as she put a cap on the scoring with her second double of the day. The RBI extra-base knock drove home Goddard who reached via hit-by-pitch to leadoff the frame. Cottrill finished the day 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI.
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Lugo reentered the game in the bottom of the 7
th to secure the victory for the Gators. She struck out eight, allowed one walk and four hits through 6.0 innings.
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How It Happened – Nebraska – W, 6-1
Inning |
Score |
Play |
B-1st |
0-1 |
The Cornhuskers manufactured a run with the help of a wild pitch to take the initial lead of the game. A single to led off the frame, which was followed by a SAC bunt and a fly out to right to advance the runner to third. The wild pitch brought the runner home. |
T-3rd |
1-1 |
Lindaman knotted the game 1-1 with her two-out RBI single to left field. Cottrill scored on the play after she reached on a double down the right field line. |
T-3rd |
2-1 |
Echols gave the Gators the lead with a two-out RBI single to center field in the at-bat after Lindaman. Hoover scored easily from second after she reached with a walk earlier in the frame. |
T-5th |
3-1 |
Echols extended the lead in her next at-bat as she fought through 10 pitches and lifted a fly ball to left field that scored Adams from third. |
T-5th |
5-1 |
Roberts drove home Buffano and Goddard when she sent the 3-0 offering from the Husker hurler to the gap in right-center. |
B-6th |
5-3 |
Nebraska closed down the lead to just two runs when Edwards sent the ball over the wall in right field for a two-run home run. |
T-7th |
6-3 |
Cottrill doubled to right-center field to score Goddard from first base to cap the scoring in the Gators 16th win of the season. |
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Next Up
Florida returns home to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium for a 12-game home stand that will start with a three-game series, Feb. 28-March 1, against No. 11 Louisiana. The series will be streamed via the SEC Network + and broadcast live on the radio on WGGG (92.1 FM/1230 AM) & WMOP (100.1 FM/900 AM).
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Notable Notes:
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- Florida improved to 4-1 all-time against Nebraska and have won the last three meetings with the Huskers.
- The Gators wrapped up the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a 4-1 record, that included three wins against Top 25 teams.
- UF 3-2 on the season against Top 25 squads.
- Lindaman's hit-streak ended at 15-games against UCLA the prior evening but went 2-for-4 against the Huskers.
- She has recorded a hit in 16 out of the 18 games the Gators have played so far this season.
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