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Thursday, March 28, 2024
<p>Florida defeated LSU 7-0 in its first game of a three-game series. Junior Alex Voss led the Gators offensively with two RBIs.</p>

Florida defeated LSU 7-0 in its first game of a three-game series. Junior Alex Voss led the Gators offensively with two RBIs.

When Alex Voss stepped up to home plate for her first at-bat of the night, she was just trying to get on base and help the Gators get back to the top of the batting order.

The 5-foot-2 junior outfielder stepped up to plate with a 1-2 count and runners on second and third and swung through the pitch from LSU’s Carley Hoover.

The yellow sphere soared toward the back wall, looking like it was going to disappear behind the wall. But it didn’t.

Instead, it struck the top of the wall in right center field, but the UF baserunners kept advancing around the diamond.

Voss was able to reach second base safely, but more significantly she put the Gators (43-7, 16-3 SEC) up 2-0 in the home half of the second.

The RBI-double propelled Florida to take a 7-0 victory over the LSU Tigers (36-12, 9-9 SEC) at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium Friday night.

“For a split second I thought it really did (go out),” Voss said. “But I’m just happy it didn’t get caught. I was excited about that.”

But for Voss, it’s about a little bit more than just making a home run, which she hasn’t accomplished in her career yet.

With Voss’ short stature, a lot of teams decide to move their outfielders in when she steps up to bat. But it doesn’t deter her attitude in the slightest.

“Sooner or later they are going to (start) playing me deep, but I am going to take advantage of it now,” Voss said.

On her right wrist she has two metal bangles ‒ one from her mom and another with her favorite quote that reads “Though she be but little, she is fierce.”

“I ran back in the dugout after I got that hit and was like, ‘5-foot-2 girl can hit the fence,’” she said. “I think that’s always been my motto that even though I’m little, I can still play with the big dogs.”

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Voss has proven that very thing by recording six hits, four doubles and six RBIs just in the last six games.  

“Alex’s hitting is just really hyping me up,” pitcher Kelly Barnhill said. “I told her if she lifts a little more in the weight room, she’s hitting that ball over the fence.”

In addition to Voss’ performance, Barnhill had a solid outing of her own.

From the circle, the junior pitcher took away her 30th career shutout victory and tied her season-high of 15 strikeouts on 105 tosses.

In the bottom of the sixth, sophomore catcher Jordan Roberts came in to pinch hit for Voss, sending a single through the left side and scoring pinch runner Lily Mann and bringing the Gators up 6-0.

Voss didn’t wait long to make an impact on the diamond when she came back in to run after Roberts’ hit, immediately stealing second with freshman Hannah Adams in the batter’s box.

On the next at-bat, junior outfielder Amanda Lorenz took a walk to first, putting Adams and Voss in scoring position.

After senior third baseman Nicole DeWitt was hit by a pitch, Voss scored her second run of the matchup.   

The Gators are on a six-game win streak against the Tigers, outscoring them 30-2 in those victories. In addition, the Gators will look to clinch the series in Saturday’s matchup when the teams faceoff at noon.

 

You can follow Mari Faiello on Twitter @faiello_mari or contact her at mfaiello@alligator.com. 

 

Florida defeated LSU 7-0 in its first game of a three-game series. Junior Alex Voss led the Gators offensively with two RBIs.

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