sports - The Independent Florida Alligator

Pitcher Tommy Mace struck out nine batters in seven innings against LSU in a 16-9 win on Thursday. It was the Gators' first SEC road win. Mace leads the team in wins (seven), innings pitched (63.2) and strikeouts (57).

Sports

Pitchers struggle, Florida drops fourth-straight SEC road series

By Kyle Wood | Apr. 21, 2019

The Florida baseball team finally won an SEC road game on Thursday night.

UF junior Grant Holloway ran the 60-meter hurdles in 7.43 seconds at the Tyson Invitational. The time was one millisecond off of his personal record.

Sports

UF begins difficult stretch with solid outing at LSU

By Graham Marsh | Apr. 21, 2019

The LSU Alumni Gold Meet featured two of the three best 4x100-meter relay teams in the country: No. 1 LSU (38.41) and No. 3 Florida (38.69). The Gators relay consists of juniors Grant Holloway and Raymond Ekevwo, sophomore Hakim Sani Brown and senior Ryan Clark.

Senior Gordon Neale is tied for 15th in The Goodwin tournament.

Sports

Strong final round leads Gators to third-place finish

By Bryan Matamoros | Apr. 21, 2019

The Florida men’s golf team entered the final round of the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate in fourth place at 20 over.

UF left fielder Austin Langworthy went 5 for 12 against Alabama, then had three hits against Florida A&M on Tuesday at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium.

Sports

Florida loses series as Leftwich struggles in return

By Evan Lepak | Apr. 20, 2019

Florida sophomore Jack Leftwich took the mound for the first time since March 31.

Florida sprinter/jumper/hurdler Grant Holloway clocked a time of 6.51 seconds in the 60 meters at the Razorback Invitational, which is good for the world lead. Holloway also holds the national lead in the 60-meter hurdles and the No. 2 marks in the long jump and 200 meters.

Sports

UF men’s 4x100 team narrows gap with LSU

By Graham Marsh | Apr. 20, 2019

Fourteen milliseconds was the difference. When senior Ryan Clark carried the baton across the line, it was not good enough to alter the nation’s leaderboard, but it was good enough to win on Saturday.

Junior Alfredo Perez advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA Individual Men's Tennis Championships.

Sports

Florida stunned by Tennessee in SEC Tournament Semifinals

By Noah Ram | Apr. 20, 2019

It was 40-40 in the third set. Sam Riffice was tied 4-4 with his opponent, Adam Walton, and was serving to go ahead 5-4. Instead, he double-faulted.

Amanda Lorenz was picked by the USSSA Pride Monday with the second overall pick in the National Pro Fastpitch College Draft.

Sports

Gators swept at home for first time since 2011

By Mark Stine | Apr. 20, 2019

The moods in the home and visiting dugouts were polar opposites.

Florida midfielder Shannon Kavanagh (left) is second on the Gators with 24 draw controls this season and is the main option for the draw circle. “The draw circle is where the game is won and lost, for the most part,” coach Amanda O’Leary said.

Sports

Kavanagh scores five as Gators earn seventh-straight win

By Bryan Matamoros | Apr. 20, 2019

The Florida women’s lacrosse team relied on sophomore midfielder Shannon Kavanagh’s versatility against Connecticut.

Blake Reese finished with one hit and a run in three at-bats in the Gators 5-2 win over Long Beach State.

Sports

LSU bullies Florida to even the series

By Evan Lepak | Apr. 20, 2019

Just one day removed from an offensive performance that awarded the Gators their first SEC road victory of the season, the UF baseball team regressed its losing formula: no offensive production and a lackluster performance from the pitching staff.

UF senior Alicia Boren earned a share of the NCAA Gymnastics Championships' floor exercise title Friday with a score of 9.95.

Sports

Boren shares floor title at NCAA Championships

By River Wells | Apr. 19, 2019

Surrounded by the crowd and with the last remaining bastion of UF gymnasts cheering her on, senior Alicia Boren took to the floor mat one last time.

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.

Sports

Alabama clinches series over UF in Friday night doubleheader

By Mark Stine | Apr. 19, 2019

Kendyl Lindaman faced a 3-2 count against Alabama pitcher Sarah Cornell with two outs in the fifth during the second game of Friday night’s doubleheader.

Victoria Emma is one of three UF women's tennis singles players ranked in the ITA's top 125. She is ranked No. 124.

Sports

Florida comeback falls short in SEC Tournament

By Victor Prieto | Apr. 19, 2019

The Florida women’s tennis team’s season has been defined by 4-3 thrillers.

Junior Marta Perez finished Day 1 of the SEC Tournament in a tie for second place at three-under par.

Sports

Florida remains atop leaderboard in SEC Championships despite tough day

By Victor Prieto | Apr. 19, 2019

Florida remains atop the leaderboard after Day 3 of the SEC Women’s Championship, despite not one team shooting under par in a difficult day at the Greystone Golf & Country Club.

Oliver Crawford got a 6-4, 6-1 win over Mazen Osama in the Gators win over the Crimson Tide Friday.

Sports

Florida moves on to SEC Tournament semifinals

By Noah Ram | Apr. 19, 2019

The conditions were not ideal for the Gators men’s tennis team in its 4-1 win over No. 21 Alabama.

Sophomore John Axelsen led the Gators with a score of 4 over, tying him for 14th place on the first day of the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate.

Sports

Gators in fourth after opening round of Robert Kepler Intercollegiate

By Bryan Matamoros | Apr. 19, 2019

The Florida men’s golf team was not the only one that struggled in the first day of the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate.

UF women's golfers Sierra Brooks (pictured) and Marta Perez were excused for the Liz Murphy Collegiate Classic after they competed in the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amatuer last weekend.

Sports

Brooks, Perez show out to give Florida 36-hole lead

By Victor Prieto | Apr. 19, 2019

Juniors Marta Perez and Sierra Brooks headlined a massive day on the links for the Florida women’s golf team in Round 2 of the SEC Women’s Championships.

Marlee Zein won SEC Freshman of the Week after earning two wins. Her 11 victories are second-highest on the team.

Sports

Zein clinches second-round SEC Tourney win over Ole Miss

By Victor Prieto | Apr. 19, 2019

Marlee Zein entered College Station, Texas, excited to compete in her first SEC Tournament. The freshman out of Sugar Land, Texas, was coming off a two-win week, and won SEC Freshman of the Week for the second time this season.

UF thrower AJ McFarland knows the importance of every meet, regardless of when it occurs. “I want to treat every meet like the postseason," he said.

Sports

Gators return to the track for first time since Florida Relays

By Graham Marsh | Apr. 19, 2019

Sharrika Barnett reached the final straightaway clearly in first place.

Pitcher Kelly Barnhill has a 1.46 ERA and has only allowed an opponent batting average of .150. She is only 15 strikeouts away from Stacey Nelson's school record of 1,116.

Sports

Top matchups to watch when Florida takes on ‘Bama

By Mark Stine | Apr. 19, 2019

The Florida-Alabama softball rivalry is one of the fiercest in the Southeastern Conference.

Sophomore Duarte Vale got a 6-4, 6-7, 1-0 singles victory in a 10-point tiebreaker in Florida's win over Auburn on Sunday. He improved to 9-0 in SEC play and extended his winning streak to 10 in singles.

Sports

Top-seeded UF prepares to host Alabama in SEC Tourney

By Noah Ram | Apr. 19, 2019

The Florida men’s tennis team is SEC regular season champions and undefeated in conference play for the first time since 2003, a 14-match winning streak and their best regular season record since 1977.