Florida softball’s season could have easily spiraled downhill following an upset loss to Southern Miss on March 2. Florida’s sole blemish on this near-perfect season came to a team that had already notched five losses on the year.
Instead of faltering after a disappointing defeat, the Gators strung together an impressive three-win stretch reminiscent of their 16-0 campaign to start the season.
Florida’s Florida lastest victory came against Tennessee State Saturday after the Gators rolled an impressive third inning highlight reel with four runs and three hits. The Gators handed the Tigers their 11th loss of the season in shut-out fashion, 6-0.
Both teams remained scoreless through two frames and neither could muster offensive control of the ball game. Florida had recorded one hit in the first inning while the Tigers came up nilch.
Florida southpaw Haley Pittman did a great job of keeping hungry Tennessee State batters from capitalizing on scoring opportunities, closing out her opening frame with a strikeout on junior Kayli Mothershed.
In the third inning, Florida arose as the true powerhouse of the diamond for the afternoon, taking a 4-0 lead. Florida sophomore Katie Kistler and fifth-year Hannah Adams opened the flood gates for the Gators midway through the bottom of the third.
Freshman Reagan Walsh launched her second home run of the weekend towards center field, paving the way for redshirt junior Skylar Wallace to waltz home for another Florida score.
Following a quiet and scoreless fourth inning, Adams and Wallace added two more runs to extend Florida’s lead to six, essentially blockading the Tigers from building any momentum in their pursuit of an upset, due in large part to right-handed pitcher Marissa Mesiemore. The graduate student relieved Pittman at the top of the fifth, coming in loose and picking off right where Pittman left, shutting out the Tigers.
Florida now turns its attention to a Sunday doubleheader featuring Coastal Carolina at 11:30 a.m. and Georgia State at 2 p.m. to close out the Bubly Invitational at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Florida already secured victories against the Panthers and the Chanticleers earlier in the week, overpowering their opponents 3-1 and 8-1, respectively.
Contact Brenda Bogle at bbogle@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @bogle_brenda.
Brenda Bogle is a UF journalism senior with a specialization in sports and media. She joined The Alligator in the Fall of 2021.
