The 16
th-ranked Florida softball team is set to host No. 3 Florida State in the second installment of the 2023 Sunshine Showdown which is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Tomorrow's game will air on ESPNU with Beth Mowins and Michele Smith on the call.
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The Gators (34-16) look to rebound from its 5-3 defeat at the hands of the Seminoles (43-8) last Wednesday in Tallahassee. The Orange & Blue held a 1-0 and 3-2 lead in the contest, but a three-run bottom of the 4
th inning by FSU edged out UF in the first meeting of the year between the two programs.
Elizabeth Hightower received the loss, while Autumn DuBois picked up the win with Kathryn Sandercock earning her seventh save of the year.
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Florida enters the top 25 showdown after it took its final Southeastern Conference home series against Ole Miss, 2-1, with a walk-off 6-5 victory in game one of the series courtesy of
Reagan Walsh's three-run home run in the bottom of the 7
th inning and a 12-2 (5 inning) run-rule victory in the series finale Sunday that was highlighted by sophomore
Lexie Delbrey's one-hitter in the circle.
Florida State enters the midweek clash after it swept ACC foe Notre Dame on the road with a 5-4 (8 inning) win in game one and back-to-back run-rule victories of 11-2 (5 innings) and 12-0 (5 innings) in the final two games.
Leading the way at the plate for the Gators is SEC Player of the Year candidate and USA Softball Player of the Year Top 25 Finalist
Skylar Wallace. Wallace paces the team and ranks 10
th nationally with a .456 average at the plate to go along with being ranked third nationally in on base percentage (.596) & runs per game (1.33) and first in slugging percentage (1.016).
Following Wallace's lead is
Charla Echols,
Reagan Walsh and
Kendra Falby who are having impressive seasons at the plate. Echols leads the team with 58 RBI on the season, while Falby leads the team in total hits with 61 on the year. Walsh has built a solid sophomore campaign with a .350 batting average and 44 RBI.
The Seminoles will rely on a pitching staff that holds a 1.68 ERA as a staff. Freshman Makenna Reid leads the group with 0.93 ERA and is 11-0 on the year, while Sandercock sports a 1.17 ERA and leads the team with 18 wins compared to three losses. Transfer Allison Royalty holds a 1.96 ERA and is 7-1 on the year.
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