Softball

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Rally: Which Florida team had a more disappointing finish?

Unleashing Ocasio: Pitcher primed for big junior year

By Matt Brannon

Florida softball looks to future

In 2018, another team can attempt a three-peat.

Georgia hits walk-off home run, ends Florida’s chance at three-peat

When Kirsti Merritt tried to save her team, she ran into a wall.

UF softball set to open Super Regionals against Georgia

One series separates Florida from punching one of eight tickets to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

UF uses dominant pitching to sweep Regionals

The Gators blew through their NCAA Regional for the fourth-consecutive year over the weekend, bringing them one step closer to the Women’s College World Series.

Florida run-rules UCF, advances to Super Regionals

Nicole DeWitt has a thing for the postseason.

Gourley strikes out 13 in UF's win over UCF

On her first at-bat, freshman Amanda Lorenz flew out.

Nine-run third inning lifts Florida over Alabama State in NCAA Regional

Nicole DeWitt’s triple bounced over first base and down the right-field line.

Gators begin NCAA Regional after disappointing SEC Tourney

Florida’s one-run loss to Auburn on Friday put a swift end to its hopes of winning the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

Florida falls to Auburn in SEC Tournament

No. 1 Florida fell to Auburn on Friday after a first-inning home run created a deficit from which UF couldn’t come back. The Gators’ early exit from the Southeastern Conference Tournament came in the semifinals for the second year in a row.

Softball defeats Ole Miss, advances to SEC Tournament semifinals

On a night Florida struggled to score runs, it leaned on what has been steady all season.

No. 1 Gators softball preparing for postseason

No. 1 Florida marches into May with the same swagger that earned it back-to-back national championships.

Freshman Kelly Barnhill tosses no-hitter in regular-season finale

Kelly Barnhill hogged the spotlight on Sunday.

No. 1 Florida defeats Arkansas 5-0 on Senior Day

Kirsti Merritt touched a base for every year she has been a Gator.

Florida softball beats Arkansas 9-0 in opener

For the second-straight year, the Gators were the top team in the Southeastern Conference during the regular season.

UF softball sweeps FSU on road

The Florida softball team has been waiting for three weeks.

Florida softball drops series finale at Texas A&M

Heading into the top of the seventh inning, Florida found itself in an unusual position.

Florida softball defeats Texas A&M 7-3

Chelsea Herndon doesn’t get much playing time.

Ten-run sixth inning lifts No. 1 UF over No. 18 Texas A&M

Amanda Lorenz stepped off the bus in College Station, Texas, with six home runs in her freshman season and four since April 8. But hitting a home run is one thing. Hitting your first career grand slam on an 0-2 pitch against a top-ranked Southeastern Conference rival to put the series-opener out of reach is another. Her bases-clearing homer drove in the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th runs of No. 1 Florida’s sixth-inning rally in its commanding and convincing 14-3 win over No. 18 Texas A&M on Friday. “Getting the fourth run of the game was huge, and being able to throw up 10 runs in the sixth was great as well,” coach Tim Walton said in a release. “I was really working hard over to scratch and claw to get us some more runs. I didn’t think four was enough, as Texas A&M has a great offense.” Neither team scored in the first, but Gators’ pitcher Delanie Gourley got off to a quick start. The junior southpaw retired her first batter after one pitch and went on to throw three innings and four strikeouts before letting a batter reach base. Florida’s (46-3, 16-3 SEC) offense struck in the second inning after Janell Wheaton was hit by a pitch and maneuvered her way around the basepath to third via an error on a fielder’s choice. Wheaton put UF up 1-0 after scoring on a throwing error by the Texas A&M catcher as junior Justine McLean stole second. Wheaton helped Florida tack on three more runs in the top of the third. The sophomore hit a  double to centerfield to drive in two more runs before she scored on a base hit by Taylore Fuller. Texas A&M (34-14, 6-12 SEC) slowly began to pull itself back into the contest. In the fourth, the Aggies pulled within two runs after a leadoff single and an ensuing throwing error from Gourley. A fifth-inning home run from Aggie freshman Samantha Show cut Florida’s lead to 4-3. But just as Texas A&M came close, Florida’s bats caught fire. The 10-run rally in the top of the sixth started with Kirsti Merritt and Nicole DeWitt stringing a couple singles together to go up 6-3. A two-RBI single from catcher Aubree Munro and an RBI double from sophomore Aleshia Ocasio, a UF pitcher with just 10 at-bats on the year, followed. A bases-loaded walk put the Gators up 10-3, and Lorenz’s home run sealed the deal. After her hit, Ocasio closed the game out in the bottom of the sixth because of the eight-run  rule. “Both of our pitchers did a great job,” Walton said, saying Ocasio specifically changed the game’s momentum when she came in. With the win, UF reached a 16-3 SEC record, its best mark since 2012. UF will play Game 2 of its series with the Aggies at 1 p.m. in College Station, Texas.