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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Florida softball named SEC Regular Season Champions with win over Missouri

Kayli Kvistad

Florida first baseman had three of the Gators' four RBIs against Missouri.

In the top of the sixth, senior catcher Janell Wheaton walked up to home plate with an 0-1 count.

She stepped inside the batter’s box, pumped the bat three times and balanced it on her right shoulder as she watched Missouri’s Madi Norman release a toss from the circle.

As the pitch crossed into the zone Wheaton took a step forward and swung through the ball, sending it toward center field and over the fence.

The hit helped the Gators secure a 4-2 victory over the Tigers as they took the first of three games in their last series in the regular season.   

No. 4 Florida’s victory at Missouri (28-25, 6-15 SEC) Friday night also helped the Gators claim the 2018 SEC Regular Season Championship title for the fourth-straight year, with Georgia’s loss to Ole Miss.

Florida (45-8, 18-4 SEC) got on the board early securing an early two-run lead in the top of the first.

Freshman second baseman Hannah Adams and junior left fielder Amanda Lorenz both got on base with walks.

When senior first baseman Kayli Kvistad sent a drive up the middle, Adams and Lorenz circled the bases and reached home plate safely, bringing the Gators up 2-0.

Missouri answered back in the bottom of the second when Brooke Wilmes sent a home run to right field, just inside the foul line.

The diamond stayed quiet until the top of the sixth when Kvistad and Wheaton secured two runs for the Gators with separate home runs.

Kvistad started off the batting order for the sixth inning, sending a drive to left field on a 1-2 count.

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A sea of orange and blue jerseys met Kvistad at home plate as she came back and celebrated the homer with a team gator chomp.

Wheaton’s home run followed suit after Norman struck out senior right fielder Aleshia Ocasio. The hit put Florida up 4-1.

Missouri tried to rally back in the bottom of the seventh when Cayla Kessinger homered to right field, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Tigers within reach as Barnhill retired the next two batters.

On the night, Barnhill (25-1) struck out four batters on 97 tosses, allowing four hits. With the two home runs tonight, Barnhill has allowed 16 so far this season.  

The Gators will look to clinch the series Saturday afternoon when they take on the Tigers at 3 p.m.

You can contact Mari Faiello at mfaiello@alligator.org or follow her on Twitter @faiello_mari.

 

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