GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida softball program opened their fall exhibition slate early Saturday afternoon and cruised by Jacksonville in an eight-inning exhibition by a combined score of 11-1.
The Gators and the Dolphins split the exhibition into a pair of four-inning affairs. The Orange and Blue took the first set 8-0 and the second 3-1.
Florida wasted no time in scoring to start the exhibition as the duo of
Kendra Falby and
Skylar Wallace combined to plate the first run of the afternoon. Wallace drove in Falby from second base on an RBI single to right field after Falby reached on a leadoff walk and stole second.
UF struck for three more runs in the second inning thanks to a pair of bases loaded walks drawn by Wallace and
Korbe Otis, while
Jocelyn Erickson capped the scoring in the frame with a SAC fly to left field.
Falby stayed perfect at the plate in her third at-bat of the day as she unleashed a bases clearing triple to left center field. Wallace improved to 2-for-2 at the plate in the following at-bat as she drove in Falby from third to extend the lead out to 8-0.
Freshman
Ava Brown received the start in the circle and allowed only one hit through four innings of work. Erickson was behind the plate in the first four innings and notched a pickoff and threw out one runner trying to steal second base.
The final four innings of action saw graduate right-handed pitcher
Mackenzie Wooten start in the circle. Wooten shared time with freshman
Olivia Miller who logged 2 1/3 innings in the circle. Jacksonville scratched across their only run of the exhibition in the top of the second inning on a groundout to third base.
However, Florida responded to tie and take the lead in the home half of the inning on
Brooke Barnard's RBI double that scored
Alyssa Hovermale and
Reagan Walsh's two-RBI double to left center that plated Falby and
Korbe Otis.
At the end of the day Falby finished 3-for-4 at the plate with four runs scored and three RBI, while Wallace went 2-for-2 with three RBI to lead the team. Walsh (2-for-4) and
Katie Kistler (2-for-3) logged a pair of multi-hit games with Walsh producing a pair of RBI and Kistler driving in one.
Kaila Pollard (1-for2),
Mia Williams (1-for-3) and Barnard (1-for-2) each had a hit.
The Gators return to fall exhibition action Tuesday, October 17, at 6 p.m. against USF. Fans are encouraged to bring canned goods to all Florida home exhibitions this fall as the program will be donating them to those in need at the end of the fall season.
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