Charla Echols hit her second home run of the season to lead the Gators to double-digit runs.
Echols is a fantastic player, and the whole team was excited when she hit her home run, Florida head coach Tim Walton said.
“When she hit that home run, the place and the dugout got excited and electric,” he said. “That shows what kind of personality she has and the kind of kid she is.”
The No. 3 Florida Gators (5-0) blew past the Jacksonville Dolphins (3-3) 11-0 Wednesday night. The Gators continued their 27-game winning streak against the Dolphins.
Senior pitcher Rylee Trlicek and Florida’s defense kept the Dolphins and leadoff hitter third baseman senior Victoria Rodebaugh from scoring in the top of the first inning. Trlicek closed out the inning with back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout to shortstop.
Junior shortstop Skylar Wallace tripled to right center, and sophomore left fielder Kendra Falby scored to extend the Gators lead to 1-0. Sophomore second baseman Reagan Walsh singled to left field, which brought Wallace back home to up the score to 2-0 by the end of the first inning.
Sophomore right fielder Alison Carter popped her hit to right field to try and get a run for the Dolphins but was unsuccessful. Junior center fielder Katie Kistler singled to center field, which brought junior first baseman Avery Goelz home to extend Florida’s lead to 3-0.
Wallace lined her hit out to right center, which allowed senior utility player Sarah Longley to score.Graduate student third baseman Charla Echols hit the first home run of the night, and both Kistler and Falby scored to end the second inning; Florida led 7-0
The Gators and Dolphins both failed to score in the third inning.
Wallace doubled to left center, then Echols singled up the middle to bat in her fourth runner. Wallace scored to extend the Gators lead to 8-0.
Junior catcher Emily Wilikie homered to left field and both freshman first baseman Olivia Gigante and sophomore outfielder Christina Wellen scored to up the score 11-0 to end the bottom of the fourth inning.
Gigante and the Gators’ defense closed out the game with two strikeouts; the Dolphins were scoreless to end the game in the top of the fifth.
Florida is set to take on the Connecticut Huskies Friday at 6 p.m. in Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium for the T-Mobile Tournament.
Contact Alyssa Britton-Harr abritton-harr@alligtor.org. Follow her on Twitter @abrittonharr.
Alyssa Britton-Harr is a second-year journalism major and a sports reporter for The Alligator. In her free time, she enjoys cheering on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and spending time with her friends.
