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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Gators complete sweep of Mississippi State behind performance of Lorenz

<p>Left fielder Amanda Lorenz went 2-for-5 from the plate with a grand slam in Florida's doubleheader against Mississippi State on Saturday.</p>

Left fielder Amanda Lorenz went 2-for-5 from the plate with a grand slam in Florida's doubleheader against Mississippi State on Saturday.

Florida’s softball team mobbed left fielder Amanda Lorenz as she hopped on home plate in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Gators (41-7, 15-3 SEC) don’t usually storm the playing area for home runs, but a two-out grand slam by the standout junior called for celebration as they reclaimed the lead during the first game of a doubleheader against Mississippi State.  

Lorenz ultimately went 6-for-9, scored five runs and recorded six RBIs in the series against the Bulldogs. She led No. 5 Florida as it completed a weekend sweep of No. 19 Mississippi State on Saturday by final scores of 6-2 and 3-0.

“The important part is that we have the ability to sweep a really good team on the road,” UF coach Tim Walton said in a release.

The Bulldogs (33-15, 6-12 SEC) committed four errors on the day as its mistake-prone defense proved to be a major difference.

The first critical error came during Game 1 in the top of the fourth inning with the score tied at 1-1. On a routine ground ball to the shortstop by leadoff batter Jordan Matthews, MSU first baseman Sarai Niu dropped the relay at first to allow Matthews on. Two-out singles by center fielder Alex Voss and second baseman Hannah brought Lorenz to the plate to drive in four unearned runs and bust open the deadlock.

The second game featured a pitching duel between UF’s Kelly Barnhill and Mississippi State’s Holly Ward.  Both pitchers threw complete games. Barnhill allowed no runs on three hits and one walk, while Ward conceded three runs, one earned, on two hits and two walks.

However, Barnhill’s defense only committed one error behind her while Ward’s committed three.

In the top of the third, Gators shortstop Sophia Reynoso stood on third base with Lorenz at the plate. She led off the inning with a walk and was advanced by back-to-back ground outs by Voss and Adams.

After a pitch to Lorenz, Bulldogs catcher Mia Davidson attempted to pick off Reynoso at third, but fired out of reach of third baseman Bevia Robinson. The errant throw allowed Reynoso to open the scoring before UF even registered its first hit.

Florida tacked on two more insurance runs in the seventh. Designated player Aleshia Ocasio led off by reaching on a fielding error by second baseman Emily Heimberger. Right fielder Jaimie Hoover followed Ocasio by smacking a double into right field, allowing the senior to score all the way from first. Hoover advanced to third on the throw home and was driven in by catcher Janell Wheaton’s sacrifice fly in the next at-bat.

The sweep allowed the Gators to take a three-game lead over No. 6 Georgia for first place in the SEC standings, while the Bulldogs dropped to 10th.

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Follow Mark Stine on Twitter @mstinejr and contact him at mstine@alligator.org.

Left fielder Amanda Lorenz went 2-for-5 from the plate with a grand slam in Florida's doubleheader against Mississippi State on Saturday.

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