Jade Caraway jogged to second base.
Florida’s center fielder didn’t have to worry about a possible play with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. The ball was in the Arkansas dugout.
An errant throw by Razorbacks pitcher Autumn Storms put Caraway on base. She touched home on Amanda Lorenz’s double off the left-field fence in the next at-bat.
Two errors by No. 14 Arkansas led to opportunities for the UF softball team on Sunday afternoon, as it scored three unearned runs in the 3-1 victory. No. 8 Florida swept the three-game series and improved to .500 in the SEC.
“I feel like we took it for granted the first three years,” Lorenz said about sweeping SEC teams. “It was kind of just what we did. So, I think it was nice to get this feeling again.”
Storms has given up 64 runs this season, 31 of which were unearned. The Razorbacks (26-14, 6-8 SEC) have committed 61 errors this season, the most in the SEC. That total includes four from this weekend. UF didn’t commit a single error in the series.
“When you have a drop-ball pitcher like that, you’ve got to take care of the ball,” UF coach Tim Walton said. “(Storms) is really good, feeds the defense a lot… We hardly hit any balls out of the infield against her.”
Florida (32-9, 6-6 SEC) provided enough run support for pitcher Kelly Barnhill, who turned in a solid performance on Sunday. The two-time All-American pitched her second complete game of the weekend after a shutout outing on Friday. She allowed only two hits and one earned run to go along with eight strikeouts on Sunday.
Barnhill conceded a home run in the top of the second inning to give the Razorbacks the game’s first lead. Right fielder Katie Warrick grooved an 0-2 pitch off the top of the scoreboard in left-center field for a solo shot.
Barnhill allowed a walk and hit a batter later in the second, but she struck out three to retire the side and get out of the jam.
The Gators turned the deficit into a lead in the bottom of the third.
Designated player Jordan Roberts reached first courtesy of an errant throw by Arkansas shortstop Keely Edwards. Pinch runner Amanda Beane took second on a single by first baseman Jordan Matthews and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Hannah Sipos. Then, a ground out by Caraway allowed her to score.
Lorenz plated Matthews with a bloop single to center field on the next at-bat. The senior left fielder went 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs.
Lorenz’s RBI double in the fifth added an insurance run, and Barnhill didn’t allow another base runner after UF took the 3-1 lead.
“I think just the offense, we’re trying to take it personally and have our pitchers’ backs,” Lorenz said. “This weekend was just nice for us to give them a little something, give them a little breathing room.”
Follow Mark Stine on Twitter @mstinejr and contact him at mstine@alligator.org.
UF senior Kelly Barnhill pitched her second complete game of the weekend against Arkansas on Sunday. She allowed only two hits and one earned run to go along with eight strikeouts.
