A home run, a two-run single, a passed ball and an infield hit.
Four second-inning plays were all Florida (17-0) needed to take a commanding lead over Illinois State (3-12).
The five-run rally propelled the No. 1 Gators to a 7-2 win over ISU on Thursday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
It all started with pitcher Kelly Barnhill. The freshman set the tone, throwing three scoreless innings and striking out seven of the 16 batters she faced.
But the Gators’ bats brought Barnhill her sixth win, thanks to some timely run support in the bottom of the second.
Kayli Kvistad’s solo shot put Florida on the board first — her first home run of the season.
Four batters later, freshman phenom Amanda Lorenz stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and singled to left field, driving in senior Kelsey Stewart and junior Justine McLean to put Florida up 3-0.
A passed ball and an infield hit helped the remaining runners cross the plate, giving the Gators an early edge, 5-0.
But the Redbirds made a run in the fourth inning to shake things up.
After five of the first six batters reached base against Barnhill, giving ISU its first run, UF coach Tim Walton swapped the freshman for sophomore Aleshia Ocasio. On the next play, a walk, the Redbirds scored their final run of the game.
Junior Delanie Gourley also pitched a scoreless inning, solidifying her team-leading 0.23 ERA.
“We have three good pitchers, and I’m going to utilize them in many different ways,” Walton said in a release. “Sometimes, like tonight, we might use three in one game and sometimes we might use four in one game and bring the starter back.”
Sophomore Janell Wheaton earned herself a team-leading 21st RBI on a fourth-inning triple to push the lead to 6-2.
Senior Taylor Schwarz took advantage of a passed ball in the fifth inning, crossing home plate to seal the Gators’ 7-2 lead.
Throughout the night, Florida capitalized on its offensive opportunities.
“Overall, I thought we had some really good swings up and down the lineup,” Walton said.
“We had two hits out of the nine-hole and three hits out of the seven-hole, which shows that everyone has a good approach.”
The Gators will be back in action tonight at 6, facing off against Florida International in the first game of the Aquafina Invitational at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Contact Matt Brannon at mbrannon@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @MattB_727.
Amanda Lorenz bats during Florida's doubleheader sweep of Jacksonville on Feb. 17, 2016, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
