Gators sophomore second baseman Sam Roe came up to bat with two runners on base down one against the Connecticut Huskies in the seventh inning.
Roe singled her hit down the right field for two runs batted in to walk it off for Florida.
The No. 3 Florida Gators (8-0) dispatched the Huskies (2-4) 4-3 in Katie Sesahole Pressly Stadium Saturday afternoon. Florida won both of its games in its doubleheader Saturday.
Senior right-handed pitcher Rylee Trlicek kept the Huskies scoreless in the top of the first inning. UConn right-handed freshman pitcher Hope Jenkins then shut the Gators out to end the first inning.
Junior catcher Lauren Benson doubled down the left field line, and sophomore right fielder Lexi Hastings scored to put UConn in the lead, 1-0.
Freshman second baseman Savannah Ring doubled down the right field line, which allowed Benson to get home and pushed the score to 2-0 to end the top of the second inning.
At the end of the second inning, Florida was left scoreless once again by Jenkins and the Huskies’ defense.
Trlicek kept UConn scoreless at the top of the third. The Huskies' defense and Jenkins held UF off the scoreboard with outs on sophomore left field Kendra Falby and junior shortstop Skylar Wallace to end the bottom of the third.
Gators graduate student right handed pitcher Elizabeth Hightower switched to pitch for Trlicek at the top of the fourth.
UConn freshman first baseman Grace Jenkins doubled to right field, and junior designated hitter Makenzie Mason scored a run to extend the Huskies lead to 3-0 to end the top of the fourth.
Junior right fielder Avery Goelz doubled down the left field line and drove sophomore first baseman Reagan Walsh and graduate student third baseman Charla Echols home.
The Gators trailed by one to end the bottom of the fourth.
Hightower and the Florida defense ended the top of the fifth inning with two strikeouts which kept the Huskies scoreless. UConn held UF scoreless to end the fifth inning.
At the top of the sixth, the Huskies loaded the bases, but Hightower and the Gators’ defense left them all stranded and off the scoreboard. UConn closed out the bottom of the sixth with continuous strikeouts on the Gators to leave them with no runs.
The Huskies were unsuccessful with to extend their lead with any runs at the top of the seventh.
Wallace walked at the bottom of the seventh and then advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Sophomore outfielder Christina Wellen pinch-ran for Echols, who initially walked. Wellen stole second base to put two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh.
Roe singled her hit down the right field, and Wellen and Wallace scored to win the game for the Gators, 4-3.
Florida is set to play Central Michigan Sunday at 11:30 a.m. in Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Contact Alyssa Britton-Harr abritton-harr@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @abrittonharr.
Alyssa Britton-Harr is a second-year journalism major and a sports reporter for The Alligator. In her free time, she enjoys cheering on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and spending time with her friends.
