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The Florida Gator softball team was defeated by the Arkansas Razorbacks Friday night 6-2 in Fayetteville. This was the first of a three-game series between the two SEC teams this weekend.
Elizabeth Hightower started for Florida but did not have her usual stuff in the circle. She threw just 3.1 innings, giving up three runs on three hits, including a home run.
That homer came from Hannah Gammill of Arkansas who had herself a night at the plate. She went 2 for 3 with both of her hits coming by way of solo homers.
With the loss, the Gators fall to 23-6 and 2-2 in the SEC while the Razorbacks improve to 23-8 and 3-1 in conference play.
Final #GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/gxnWGCWGfs
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) March 25, 2023
Gators Strike First
Skylar Wallace showed off her speed in the top of the first. She walked to lead off the inning, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Reagan Walsh then knocked her in with an RBI ground out to score the first run of the game.
Elizabeth Hightower didn’t have much trouble in the bottom half for the Gators. She allowed one walk, but nothing else as Florida led 1-0 going into the second.
The next two and a half innings were much of the same for both teams. It seemed like there was a pitcher’s duel brewing in Fayetteville. Both Hightower for Florida and Chenise Delce for Arkansas were dealing.
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Arkansas Takes the Lead
In the bottom of the fourth, the Razorbacks got on the board. Hannah Gammill led off the inning with a towering shot that just snuck inside the left field foul pole for a home run to tie the game at one. Cylie Halvorson lined a single to left field then advanced to second and third on two wild pitches from Hightower. She scored on an RBI fielder’s choice by Kacie Hoffman to give Arkansas the lead.
Hightower was replaced three batters later as Rylee Trlicek came in with runners on second and third and one out. Atalyia Rijo was the first batter to face her. She hit a sacrifice fly to left to put the Razorbacks up 3-1.
The Gators responded well in the fifth. They got three straight baserunners without the ball getting into the outfield. The last was a dribbler to Delce who threw it away. This allowed Wallace to score and cut the Florida deficit to one run.
Gammill came to the plate with the bases empty and two outs in the bottom half. She blasted another no-doubt homer that bounced off the foul pole in left field for her second long ball of the night.
Arkansas tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. The first was an RBI single from Rijo that scored Hannah Camenzind. Two batters later, Raigan Kraimer grounded out to the pitcher, but Kristina Foreman crossed the plate to make it a 6-2 ballgame.
Delce finished off her complete game in the seventh after giving up a leadoff double to Katie Kistler. She got Pal Egan to ground out to third to end the game.
The Razorbacks took the first game of the series 6-2.
Two More Between the Gators and Razorbacks
After their loss Friday night to Arkansas, the Gator softball team will have a chance to bounce back on Saturday. The two teams square off twice more this weekend. First pitch on Saturday night is set for 9 p.m.
