GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 9 Florida softball team fell, 7-4, to USF on a cloudy Wednesday evening at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

The Gators (34-7) and the Bulls (28-15) were both locked into a pitchers' duel between UF freshman starter Ava Brown and USF's Payton Dixon (15-5) for the first three innings of the game.

That was until Florida was able to strike for three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning of play. UF was able to load the bases with one out, which led to Katie Kistler ripping a scorching groundball to first base for a two-RBI single that allowed Jocelyn Erickson and Reagan Walsh to both score. Brown pushed across Baylee Goddard during the next at-bat on a SAC fly to center field.

However, the Bulls rallied to comeback and take the lead 6-3 with four hits, a trio of hit-by-pitches and two walks in the top of the fifth inning. Keagan Rothrock (17-5) entered the game with the bases loaded in relief of Brown before the scoring commenced, but USF was able to capitalize on its momentum.

Florida loaded the bases in the home half of the fifth inning in an attempt to retake the lead as Skylar Wallace drew a one-out hit-by-pitch and Korbe Otis followed with a soft single back to the circle. Erickson loaded the bases via a five-pitch walk with one out, but Dixon managed to work her way out of the jam with a pair of foul outs on the infield.

USF then added one more run in the top of the sixth on an RBI single through the left side to extend its lead out to 7-3.

The Gators attempted to make a rally in the bottom of the sixth and got the run back that closed down the lead to 7-4 thanks to Kistler's leadoff triple to right field and Kendra Falby's RBI single through the left side that scored her from third with two outs.

Next up for Florida is a three-game series at No. 14 Missouri this Friday through Sunday in Columbia, Mo.

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