TAMPA – The No.7-ranked Florida softball team capped the USF-Rawlings Invitational with a pair of victories over Georgia State, 10-0 (5), and host USF, 6-1, at the USF Softball Stadium Sunday afternoon.
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The Gators (4-1) hurled 12.2 innings of no-hit softball before the first hit was relinquished in the second game of the day. USF scored in the bottom of the 6
th inning with two outs via a solo home run.
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In the first game, freshman
Rylee Trlicek (1-0, 1 S) dealt her first collegiate no-hitter in the five-inning victory over Georgia State (1-3). The Hallettsville, Texas native's only base runner allowed was a hit-by-pitch issued in the bottom of the 4
th inning with one out.
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The left-hander also registered six strikeouts and needed only 67 pitches in the effort to become the first freshman pitcher to throw a no-hitter for the Gators since
Kelly Barnhill. Barnhill registered her first collegiate no-hitter against Arkansas May 8, 2016.
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Offensively, the Gators bashed four home runs against the Panthers – which ties the single game opening weekend record. UF hit four home runs against Arizona in 2013 and against Florida Gulf Coast in 2011.
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The Gators pitching and offense continued to shine in the final game of the tournament against USF. Junior
Natalie Lugo hurled 5.2 innings of no-hit softball, but the first hit earned by the Bulls came after a 16-pitch at-bat by the Bulls ace Georgina Corrick.
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Lugo forced Corrick to pop up to Roberts behind the plate for the second out, but USF capitalized on the long at-bat and produced a solo home run to break up the no-hitter.
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Trlicek closed out the game to earn her first save of the season.
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Eight different Gators registered a hit, with senior
Jade Caraway going 2-for-3, along with
Charla Echols and
Jordan Roberts producing two RBIs a piece to pace the team at the dish.
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How It Happened – Georgia State – W, 10-0 (5 Innings)
Inning |
Score |
Play |
T-3rd |
1-0 |
Lindaman opened up the scoring in the 3rd inning via a fly ball to left field that died in the wind and dropped short of the left fielder, which allowed Adams to race home. |
T-4th |
2-0 |
Roberts crushed her first home run of the season over the left center field wall to extend the Gators lead. |
T-4th |
4-0 |
Caraway followed up with a two-run blast over the right center field wall and plated Matthews, who reached on a hard-hit ball that caromed off the shoulder of the Georgia State shortstop. |
T-4th |
5-0 |
Adams stretched the lead out with a RBI double down the left field line that scored Reynoso from second base. |
T-5th |
7-0 |
Roberts cranked her second home run of the day with an opposite field shot that scored Echols. |
T-5th |
10-0 |
Goddard stroked a three-run home run just inside the left line foul pole to cap the scoring. Goddard's first career home run scored Reynoso and Taylor. |
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How It Happened – USF– W, 6-1
Inning |
Score |
Play |
T-1st |
1-0 |
Matthews opened the scoring with a two-out RBI single to right field that scored Adams from second base. |
T-2nd |
2-0 |
With the bases loaded, Caraway poked a single up the middle off of USF reliever Georgina Corrick to score Goddard. |
T-5th |
4-0 |
Roberts continued to have a day at the plate as she doubled the Gators lead with a two-run home run to right center field that scored pinch-runner E.C. Taylor. |
B-6th |
4-1 |
USF broke up the no-hitter with a two-out solo home run over the wall in left center by |
T-7th |
6-1 |
Echols capped her weekend at the plate with a two-run home run to right field that plated Lindaman, who reached earlier via a Bulls error. |
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Notable Notes
- Trlicek's no-hitter was the first thrown by a freshman since Kelly Barnhill achieved the feat against Arkansas May 8, 2016 and is only one of four freshman pitchers to throw a no-hitter in program history.
- The no-hitter is also only the second opening weekend no-hitter in program history.
- Lauren Haeger – Wisconsin (2/9/14) – USF Invitational – Tampa, Fla.
- Florida's four home runs against Georgia State ties the opening weekend single-game record.
- 4 – vs. No. 13/14 Arizona (2/10/13) – Kajikawa Classic – Tempe, Ariz.
- 4 – vs. Florida Gulf Coast (2/11/11) – USF Invitational – Tampa, Fla.
- Roberts' multi-homer game was a career-high and first multi-home run game of her career.
- She now has 25 career home runs as a Gator.
- Walton secured his 898th career victory in the win over Georgia State and USF. He currently has an overall record of 898-232 in 18 seasons as a head coach.
- UF is now 2-0 all-time against Georgia State.
- The program is now 50-13 against USF and have won the last 16 games in the series.
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Next Up
Florida now gears up for a nine-game home stand that starts Tuesday, Feb. 11, with an exhibition against Team USA at 6 p.m. on SEC Network+.
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