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Friday, March 29, 2024

Florida softball falls in regular season finale, but clinches SEC title

<p>Coach Tim Walton was more than happy to empty his bench in Florida's 19-3 win over Florida A&amp;M on Wednesday.&nbsp;“I think overall the main priority is to get everybody at-bats and to keep our timing right," he said.&nbsp;</p>

Coach Tim Walton was more than happy to empty his bench in Florida's 19-3 win over Florida A&M on Wednesday. “I think overall the main priority is to get everybody at-bats and to keep our timing right," he said. 

The Florida softball team was in control of its own destiny entering its final game of the regular season.

With a win, the Gators would clinch the regular season Southeastern Conference title.

But UF picked a bad time to go into a lull offensively as No. 11 Missouri (38-13, 14-10 SEC) beat No. 1 Florida (49-5, 18-5 SEC) 3-2 in eight innings behind an outstanding pitching performance by Paige Lowary.

Lowary shut down the Gators offense as she scattered three hits in eight innings of work and struck out seven.

Florida let a golden opportunity go to waste in the top of the first inning with the bases loaded on three walks by Lowary. Taylore Fuller stepped up to the plate with eight career grand slams to her name.

Lowary, however, was able to strikeout Fuller on a full count as she came away from the inning unscathed.

Missouri would get its first two runs of the game in the bottom of the third inning when Sami Fagan blooped a two RBI single in the outfield.

Florida would come back in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game at two when Aubree Munro and Kelsey Stewart hit RBI singles.

Munro ended the game with two of the three hits off of Lowary.

“Aubree had two hits and an RBI, and got some things going offensively,” coach Tim Walton said in a release. “We really need the bottom of the lineup to add a little bit more depth to that lineup so we can turn more games over and score more runs.”

But after that, Florida was never able to mount another threat against Lowary as the Gators would only muster one more hit off of the freshman.

Florida sent out senior Lauren Haeger into the circle as she tried to finish off a strong regular season. Haeger would not factor in the decision, however, as she pitched seven innings, allowing eight hits and two earned runs.

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Haeger would run into a couple of jams during the game, but the defense behind her would turn two double plays -- one in the fourth inning and one in the fifth inning, with Stewart being the catalyst in both double plays.

Walton soon turned to Delanie Gourley in the eighth inning, but she couldn't stop the Tigers either.

Missouri would end up loading the bases in the frame and Kelsea Roth would end the game on a sacrifice fly.        

With the loss, the Gators' 17-game winning streak was snapped as they hadn’t loss since March 29 against Mississippi State. Coincidently, it was by a walk-off three-run home run.  

Missouri finished the year not being swept in a SEC series this season.

Florida, however, would clinch the SEC title after No. 6 LSU beat No. 8 Auburn 7-1.

Florida will be the No. 1 seed and will have a first round bye and play its first game on Thursday.

“We’ve got a lot of work to still be done,” Walton said. “I don’t know who we’ll play in the first game or how it will go, but my goal is to try to get all three pitchers some good work to keep them sharp and get us ready for the postseason.”

Follow Luis Torres on Twitter @LFTorresIII

Coach Tim Walton was more than happy to empty his bench in Florida's 19-3 win over Florida A&M on Wednesday. “I think overall the main priority is to get everybody at-bats and to keep our timing right," he said. 

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