The Floridian tale as old as time with Florida and Florida State’s rivalry continued under a baby blue sky in Tallahassee, Florida.
The Seminoles and Gators — treading close with one another — shared three lead changes early. That all changed when Florida State senior infielder Josie Muffley doubled in the bottom of the fourth to bring in too many runs for UF to keep up.
The No. 14 Florida Gators (32-15, 8-10 SEC) lost to the No. 4 Florida State Seminoles (40-8, 16-2 ACC) 5-3 at Seminole Stadium Wednesday. FSU held UF to a .167 hitting percentage and struck the Gators out nine times through three Seminoles pitchers.
The loss marked the fourth straight loss for Florida against Florida State. The last win in Tallahassee for UF was in 2019.
Florida State freshman pitcher Makenna Reid started the opening frame in the circle for the Seminoles. Her first three pitches of the game were called balls toward Florida redshirt junior infielder Skylar Wallace; Reid’s seventh pitch walked Wallace.
The shortstop stole second base while Gators graduate student third baseman Charla Echols was at-bat. Echols was later caught out, but it set up Wallace for another chance to roam around the diamond with UF sophomore infielder Reagan Walsh at-bat.
Wallace took advantage of a passed ball and stole third base. Walsh followed the steal with a pop fly out to right field that gave Wallace enough time to run home. Her 28th and 29th stolen bases this season set Florida up with a 1-0 lead at the end of the first half inning.
Gators graduate student pitcher Elizabeth Hightower struggled to open the bottom of the first on the right foot.
The right-handed pitcher walked FSU junior infielder Devyn Flaherty. UF’s issues appeared to evaporate after the walk. The infielder’s defense forced two consecutive outs.
However, a single by Florida State senior infielder Mack Leonard found grass in right field and brought junior utility player Kalei Harding home to tie the game. Leonard tried to advance to second base but was tagged out in time to end the first inning.
The No. 4 team in the nation acted like it in the top of the second inning. The Seminoles retired three straight batters — including two strikeouts by Reid — in less than eight minutes to end the top of the second.
Hightower struck out FSU redshirt sophomore outfielder Jahni Kerr swinging but walked sophomore catcher Michaela Edenfield right after.
The negative energy in the circle kept haunting Hightower as Florida State sophomore outfielder Hallie Wacaser grounded to Hightower. Florida’s starting pitcher failed to pick the ball up as it rolled between her legs for an error.
The next batter on deck — Seminoles sophomore catcher Katie Dack — nearly went yard to left-center field, but the ball hit the tip of the wall for a double. The hit scored Edenfield, and FSU took its first lead, up 2-1, leaving the second inning.
The Gators caught a break in the top of the third. UF sophomore outfielder Kendra Falby reached second base off a Florida State error to begin the inning.
Falby set herself up for a chance to tie the game once again after Wallace grounded out to second base. The opportunity came from an Echols pop fly caught out in deep center field. Falby sprinted to home plate and tied the game at two apiece.
Walsh homered in front of a grunting crowd and retook Florida’s lead over the Seminoles, 3-2, before the last out of the top of the third.
UF’s infielder paid was ready for FSU batters in bottom of the inning. Walsh zipped a grounded ball by junior outfielder Kaley Mudge to first for an out. Harding was later picked off out at first base by Gators senior utility player Sarah Longley.
However, Hightower walked Leonard after the two outs and then allowed Kerr to double to left-center field. The hit advanced Leonard into scoring position at third base.
Florida’s defense held the Seminoles from scoring as the fourth inning approached. Edenfield lined out to center field to keep UF’s 3-2 lead going into the fourth.
Florida State senior pitcher Ali DuBois replaced Reid in the top of the fourth inning.
She retired Gators junior catcher Emily Wilkie, freshman first baseman Olivia Gigante and Longley consecutively via strikeout swinging to end the top of the inning.
Seminole hitters got some juice early in the bottom of the fourth. Wacaser singled to right field, and Dack walked after her. A wild pitch by Hightower advanced both FSU players to second and third base.
Muffley took advantage of Hightower’s struggles and doubled to left field. The hit scored both Wacaser and Dack to give the Seminoles a 4-3 lead.
The events ended Hightower’s night. UF senior pitcher Rylee Trlicek replaced her in the circle with zero outs in the bottom of the inning and a runner at second.
Even though Trlicek got Florida out of the fourth inning, Mudge reached home due to a fielder's choice. Mudge ran home after Flaherty grounded to third and was thrown out at first to expand FSU’s lead to 5-3.
Falby singled off a bunt in front of DuBois after Gators junior first baseman Avery Goelz grounded out to start the fifth inning. Dubois was replaced quickly by Seminoles senior pitcher Kathryn Sandercock after the Falby single.
Sandercock finished the top of the inning with two consecutive outs.
Trlicek and UF’s defense fortified the infield with a double-play. Wallace threw a grounded ball by Edenfield to second base, and then had it thrown to first to get both Edenfield and Kerr out. Florida didn’t allow a single hit at the end of the fifth inning.
The Gators didn’t figure out Sandercock in the top of the sixth inning until Wilkie singled to left field after two straight outs.
The single was the only thing going for UF in the inning. Florida junior outfielder Katie Kistler was caught out by a back-shoulder grab from Seminoles graduate student infielder Bethany Keen at first base to end the top of the inning.
The Gators’ fielders kept rotating around the field late in the game to find answers against Florida State’s batters. The scheme worked when a Harding pop fly out in center field kept FSU from scoring anymore runs to its lead.
The defense translated to UF’s offense. Longley doubled to center field to start the Gators’ last chance for a comeback in the top of the seventh inning.
Sandercock wasn’t fazed by the hitting effort. The 5-foot-10-inch senior struck Goelz and Falby out swinging after the double. Florida’s day in Tallahassee ended when Wallace grounded out to first base.
Florida will travel back to Gaineville to prepare for the first of its three-game series against Ole Miss at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium at 6 p.m. Friday. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.
Contact Brandon Hernandez at bhernandez@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @BranH2001.
Brandon Hernandez is currently the enterprise sports writer and sports podcast host for The Independent Alligator. He likes long walks on the sidewalk and watching basketball tape in his off time. You can find most of his work @BranH2001 on X and on The Courtside Podcast on Spotify.
