Lily Mann darted toward the foul line from her position in right field. Arkansas’ Katie Warrick struck a pitch from Florida’s Kelly Barnhill with two outs in the top of the fourth, and the ball sliced toward the right-field line.
Mann tracked its flight path and dove forward. The senior squeezed her glove and slid across the chalk on her belly with the softball secured.
“She (Mann) moved closer to the line for whatever information Coach (Aric) Thomas had,” coach Tim Walton said about Mann’s preparation for the play.
The diving grab was one of three impact plays from Mann, who led Florida to a 3-0 win over the No. 14 Razorbacks at home on Friday night. She scored as a pinch runner in the second inning and knocked a critical base hit in the fourth.
All three of UF’s runs were unearned. Arkansas (26-12, 6-7 SEC) entered the contest with the most errors in the SEC and committed two against the Gators to bring that total to 59. Its starting pitcher, Autumn Storm, has now allowed 61 runs this season, 28 of which are unearned.
Florida designated player Jordan Roberts walked with one out in the second to give Mann the pinch-running opportunity. Two batters later, left fielder Jaimie Hoover struck an 0-1 offering right back at Storm, hitting her in the leg. Storm rushed a throw to first, allowing Hoover to take second and Mann to advance home for a 1-0 Gators lead.
Florida (30-9, 4-6 SEC) took an opening lead for the first time in four games. It fell behind in the first inning on Wednesday against Florida State and on Saturday and Sunday against Ole Miss.
The Gators loaded the bases in the fourth with no outs. Shortstop Sophia Reynoso drew a hit-by-pitch, which was sandwiched between a pair of ground-ball singles by Kendyl Lindaman and Mann.
Lindaman and Reynoso scored when second baseman Hannah Adams grounded into a fielder’s choice. Arkansas shortstop Keely Edwards fielded the ball and skied it over her catcher’s head, allowing Florida’s two lead runners to slide in safely from second and third.
Barnhill hurled her seventh complete-game shutout of the year. She allowed only three hits, no walks and struck out seven batters. The Razorbacks never put a runner in scoring position despite getting their leadoff hitter on base twice.
“My rise ball was working in different plains tonight which was partly why I think I was so successful,” Barnhill said, “being able to throw it low in the zone and kind of getting them to chase up higher.”
In their first four SEC series, the Gators have claimed the first game three times. However, they have yet to win an in-conference series.
“Whatever the routines have been, whatever the habits have been on the first night, change it up,” Walton said. “Make sure your preparation, your processes, are a little better coming in tomorrow, and use the confidence of the first night to get you prepared for the second.”
Ending note: Former UF third baseman Nicole DeWitt returned to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium as a graduate assistant on Arkansas’ coaching staff. DeWitt was a two-time All-SEC First-Team selection at Florida and plays in the National Pro Fastpitch league for the USSSA Pride.
“Seeing Nicole DeWitt in anything but Gator gear is just plain, ole wrong,” Barnhill said. “She’s a big part of the Gators softball legacy here.”
Follow Mark Stine on Twitter @mstinejr and contact him at mstine@alligator.org.
Kendyl Lindaman was 1 for 3 at the plate with one run in Florida's 3-0 win over Arkansas on Friday.
