GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 4-ranked Florida softball team is set to take on Jacksonville this Tuesday, Feb. 14, in Jacksonville and Wednesday, Feb. 15, for its home opener at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium with both games slated to start at 6 p.m. Tuesday's game is set to be streamed on ESPN+, while Wednesday's game will stream on SEC Network+ and both can be listened to live on the radio at ESPN 98.1/850 AM WRUF.
The Gators (3-0) and the Dolphins (3-1) will meet for the 26
th and 27
th times in program history with the Orange & Blue holding a 25-0 record over JU.
UF opened its 2023 season outscoring opponents 41-2 over the first three games. The total number of runs scored stands at the most scored in the first three games to open any season in program history. The previous mark of 32 runs scored was held by the 2011 squad that eventually went on to post the single-season program record for runs scored with 508.
Headlining the robust scoring outburst by the Orange & Blue was a 21-0 (5 Innings) victory over Illinois State to close out the USF-Rawlings Invitational. The run differential is tied for the second-best margin of victory in program history alongside the Gators 21-0 victory over Ball State in 2011 and the effort was one run shy of the largest margin of victory, which was a 22-0 win over North Florida during the 2010 season.
Offensively, Florida hit .406 (28-for-69) with three doubles, five home runs and drew a total of 26 walks, 16 of which came in the game against Illinois State. The 16 free bases issued by the Redbirds is the third most walks drawn in program history during a single game by the Gators behind 17 drawn against Ball State and 18 free passes against North Dakota State in 2011.
In the circle, the Gators posted a pair of shutouts against Boston College and Illinois State.
Elizabeth Hightower (1-0) posted her fourth complete-game one-hitter against the Eagles, while
Rylee Trlicek (2-0) earned wins against Boston University and Illinois State. The one-hitter by Hightower is the 83
rd in program history and the first since
Lexie Delbrey one-hit Georgia State last season.
Additionally,
Samantha Bender and
Olivia Gigante saw action in the circle for the Orange & Blue in relief appearances. Gigante's drew the attention of national media as earlier in the game she hit a grand slam prior to making her first appearance in the circle, which put her in the same company as Lauren Haeger as the only other UF player to do both in a single game as a freshman.
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