Outfielder Amanda Lorenz was frustrated a week ago. The Florida offense was struggling, and she wasn’t doing much better. Coach Tim Walton pulled her aside for a brief drill.
“He said ‘I want to try something,’” Lorenz said. “We walk in, and he hands me the tee-ball bat, and I was like, ‘Here we go.’
“[We] did some one-handed drills, and everything clicked after that, it was just a few swings and everything clicked just like that.”
Lorenz has since batted .526 and swatted six home runs, four of which were leadoff home runs. The Florida offense, unsurprisingly, has come to life in that span as well, scoring seven runs per game, and has been one of the reasons why the Gators are experiencing a 18-0 start, their best since 2016.
The Gators’ wins against Syracuse and Florida A&M concluded the Bubly Invitational.
Lorenz and Lindaman lead offense in win over Orange
Lorenz and catcher Kendyl Lindaman combined for three hits and four RBIs as Florida defeated Syracuse (4-9) 8-2.
The Gators opened the scoring when Lorenz unleashed a dinger to center field off Syracuse pitcher Sophie Dandola’s sixth pitch of the game for a 1-0 lead.
In the second inning, with one out, shortstop Sophia Reynoso singled, and Lorenz drew her program-record 187th career walk. Lindaman drove them both in with a single to make it 3-0. The Gators added two more in the third inning to lead 5-0.
Lindaman picked up her third RBI of the day in the bottom of the sixth on a bases-loaded ground out that allowed Reynoso to score the Gators’ sixth run. Catcher Jordan Roberts drove in two more that inning with a two-RBI double to extend the lead to eight.
Pitcher Kelly Barnhill didn’t have her best stuff on Sunday, but she did enough to keep the Orange off the scoreboard in 4.2 innings of work. Barnhill struck out seven batters, and after getting out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the first inning, she allowed only two hits.
Walton gave the ball to freshman Elizabeth Hightower with two outs in the fifth inning. Hightower gave up three hits and two runs (only one was earned) in 2.1 innings.
Farley fans Rattlers
Freshman Danni Farley pitched the longest game of her college career, and Jordan Roberts uncorked a three-run bomb to close out the six-game Bubly Invitational in a 7-1 win against Florida A&M.
Farley allowed two hits and one run while striking out four batters across 6.2 innings against the Rattlers. She struggled in her previous two starts but delivered a quality start for the Gators on Sunday.
“What you saw today is who she is,” said Walton. “Her overall performance was good… that’s a complete game for her.”
The Gators jumped in front early once again. Second baseman Hannah Adams came up to the plate with runners on the corners and lined a 3-2 pitch to left to score the first run of the game. Florida scored another run off a sacrifice bunt from third baseman Hannah Sipos before a wild pitch scored Adams to make it 3-0 after two innings.
Lorenz led off the third inning with a single and Lindaman later walked to give the Gators runners on first and second with one out. Both touched home after Roberts’ three-run shot.
Left fielder Jaimie Hoover hit another home run a couple innings later to add another run to Florida’s lead.
“We have a lot of power, and I think it’s going to work to our advantage this year,” Hoover said. “I’m excited to see it.”
Walton replaced Farley with junior Katie Chronister, who is returning from injury, with two outs in the seventh inning to give her some playing time in a non-competitive game before the team heads for California. Chronister gave up a hit before forcing the last out of the game.
Follow Brendan Farrell on Twitter @Bfarrell727 and contact him at bfarrell@alligator.org.
Catcher Kendyl Lindaman (pictured) combined with outfielder Amanda Lorenz for three hits and four RBIs in Florida's 8-2 defeat of Syracuse.
