Florida Baseball Uses Season-High 18 Hits To Subdue Missouri, 8-6

Florida (21-18/9-7 SEC) utilized a balanced offensive attack to post an 8-6 victory over Missouri (12-21/4-12 SEC) and boost its winning streak to seven games in the teams’ series opener on Friday night at Taylor Stadium.

The Gators totaled a season-high 18 hits, as their top six hitters in the lineup chipped in with multiple-hit outings, while the quartet of sophomore Taylor Gushue (Boca Raton, Fla.) (3-for-5), freshman Richie Martin (Brandon, Fla.) (3-for-6), senior Vickash Ramjit (Miami, Fla.) (3-for-4, two runs) and sophomore Josh Tobias (Greensboro, N.C.) (3-for-5, two RBI) had three hits apiece. Florida batted a scorching 10-for-17 (.588) with two outs and notched six two-out RBI in the contest.

Junior right-hander Jonathon Crawford (Okeechobee, Fla.) (3-5) captured his second-consecutive start after overcoming a four-run first inning and sophomore Johnny Magliozzi (East Milton, Mass.) worked the final 1.2 innings to register his 10th save in 11 opportunities. The righty is now three saves from the school’s single-season mark shared by Danny Wheeler (1994) and Josh Fogg (1998).

The Gators used a two-out RBI single by sophomore Justin Shafer (Lake Wales, Fla.) (2-for-5, two RBI) to take a 1-0 lead against Missouri junior Rob Zastryzny (2-7) in the first inning. Sophomore Casey Turgeon (Palm Harbor, Fla.) (2-for-4, three runs) singled into left field with one down and moved to second base with his fourth theft of the season with two out. Shafer lined a single into right field to drive Turgeon and Ramjit followed with a base-hit before Zastryzny had Tobias go down on strikes.

The Tigers countered with four runs on four hits in their first at bat against Crawford. Sophomore Logan Pearson (2-for-3, two runs) drew a leadoff walk and sophomore Case Munson’s bunt single was thrown wide of first base by Crawford, resulting in runners on second and third base. Senior Dane Opel (3-for-5, two RBI) tied the game with a single into center field that brought home Pearson and junior Keaton Steele gave the hosts a 2-1 lead with an RBI single into left field. A sacrifice bunt by Dylan Kelly moved Opel and Steele into scoring position and an RBI grounder by junior Kendall Keeton scored Opel. Freshman Josh Lester expanded the Tigers’ margin to 4-1 with a single down the left-field line that plated Steele.

Ramjit led off the fourth with a single up the middle and came around to score on a long single off the top of the right-field wall by Tobias to narrow the Gators’ deficit to 4-2. Seconds later, freshman Harrison Bader (Bronxville, N.Y.) delivered a base-hit into center for two runners aboard with none out, extending his hitting streak to seven games. Zastryzny had sophomore Mike Fahrman (Tampa, Fla.) pop up a sacrifice attempt and then had senior Cody Dent (Boynton Beach, Fla.) hit into inning-ending double play.

Florida rallied for three runs on four hits in the fifth inning to grab a 5-4 advantage. Turgeon belted a one-out homer over the right-field wall for his team-leading fourth round-tripper to narrow the gap to 4-3. It was also UF’s first big fly since March 31. Gushue roped his first triple of the season into the gap in right center and Zastryzny countered with a strikeout of Shafer. Ramjit evened the game with his third hit of the night, a double to left field, and Tobias moved the Gators back in front with a single into left field.

After Zastryzny (5.2 IP, 12 H, 6 R) retired the first two Florida batters in the sixth, Martin singled into right center field and Turgeon drew a four-pitch walk, prompting a pitching change. Gushue greeted redshirt junior Jake Walsh with a single into left center that scored Martin for a 6-4 lead for the visitors.

Crawford registered the first two outs in the bottom of the frame before yielding a base-hit into right field by Dillon Everett (3-for-4) that ended a run of seven-consecutive batters retired. Munson sliced a single into right field for runners on the corners, bringing sophomore Ryan Harris (Jupiter, Fla.) in for Crawford (5.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 K, 4 BB). The righty whiffed Munson to preserve the Gators’ two-run advantage.

Tobias deposited a one-out double just inside of the right-field line in the seventh and redshirt sophomore Zack Powers (Seffner, Fla.) came through with a two-out, pinch-hit RBI single into left center field to give the Gators a 7-4 lead.

Florida tacked on another run in the eighth on a two-out RBI double by Shafer that brought home Turgeon, who had reached on a fielder’s choice and stolen second base.

In the home part of the stanza, Everett stroked a one-out single into right field and took second on a fielding error by Shafer, ending the night for Harris (1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 K). Pearson then brought the Tigers within 8-5 courtesy of an RBI single off of junior Daniel Gibson (Lutz, Fla.). Magliozzi was summoned from the bullpen and walked Munson. After Opel delivered an RBI single into left field to bring home Pearson for an 8-6 score, Magliozzi caught Steele looking on strikes and had Kelly fly out to straightaway center field.

With the Tigers down to their final three outs, Lester drew a one-out walk. However, Magliozzi responded with back-to-back strikeouts of sophomore pinch hitter Jake Ivory and Everett to secure the Gators’ seventh win in a row, fifth-straight in SEC play.

Sloan Sets Tone as Gators Gymnasts Advance to NCAA Super Six

When the Gators signed Bridget Sloan the news received the kind of hoopla you might expect when a former World Champion gymnast decides to compete in college as her Olympic career nears an end.

Bridget Sloan’s 39.60 topped the all-around competition in NCAA Championships’ competition. She is the second consecutive Gator to win the NCAA all-around. Kytra Hunter was the first to win the title in 2012.

We're not talking NFL Draft hoopla or Florida-Florida State week, but in gymnastics circles, Sloan's arrival at UF made headlines. People understood the possible ramifications on Florida's program.

No one had to tell Gators coach Rhonda Faehn what Sloan could mean to the Gators, national runner-up by a fraction to Alabama a year ago and still seeking to join Alabama, Georgia, Utah and UCLA as the only programs to win national titles.

"I was beyond thrilled that she came to Florida,'' Faehn said Friday.

You can see why after what Sloan did Friday.

Sloan helped the Gators advance to the Super Six for the seventh time in eight years, winning the NCAA Gymnastics Championships first semifinal with a score of 197.775. Second-place LSU scored 197.325 and third-place Georgia finished with a 197.150.

The SEC trio advances to Saturday's Super Six here at Pauley Pavilion to compete for the national title.

Florida's return back to the Super Six didn't start off as planned. The Gators opened Friday's competition on the floor routine. Soon that was literally the case.

Sophomore Kiersten Wang led off and on her second tumbling pass, Wang slipped and fell. The mistake was eerily reminiscent of two years ago in Cleveland when the Gators, considered a favorite to win the title, could not overcome two falls on the beam on their first rotation of the meet. The deficit was too much for Florida to overcome and it could not capture a Super Six berth.

The No. 1 overall seed in the 2013 field, the Gators had no such issues Friday, not with Sloan following Wang on floor.

Sloan scored a 9.900 after Wang's 8.825, quickly re-energizing the Gators.

"I loved how the team responded to that challenge,'' Faehn said.

"It really kind of brought us back to where we were when we were in warm-up -- just having fun and doing what we do,'' added Gators junior Mackenzie Caquatto. "We got a little bit nervous after Kiersten's routine. Obviously that's not how we wanted to start off. [Bridget] brought it right back and everyone after her followed and did exactly what they were supposed to do."

After Sloan's performance appeared to settle the nerves, the Gators stepped on the floor and one by one knocked out their routines in strong fashion. Ashanée Dickerson scored 9.825, Marissa King matched Sloan's 9.900, Kytra Hunter posted a 9.875, and Bridgette Caquatto finished with a 9.825, negating any chance of Wang's fall hurting the team's score.

"It was very uncharacteristic of Kiersten,'' Faehn said. "She has been a rock for us all year long. What I love is that Bridget didn't even hold back. She just nailed this gorgeous routine, one of the best she's done all year."

Sloan finished the first day of the meet with an all-around score of 39.600, tops in the Semifinal I field. She answered another potential trouble spot when sophomore Rachel Spicer wobbled to lead off the beam.

Spicer's difficulties cost on the scoreboard. She finished with a 9.400.

Instead of feeling more pressure, Sloan followed with another 9.900 score to stabilize the Gators.

Sloan enjoyed her moments to shine Friday, her first trip to California since an elbow injury cost her any chance of making the U.S. Olympic Team last summer in San Jose at the Olympic Trials.

She shed tears that day, knowing her final shot at the Olympics was over. She was all smiles and giggles after Friday's meet.

"Going up there and hitting that routine [on beam], it definitely feels good,'' Sloan said. "I was happy the spotlight was put on me. It was kind of a test but it was a good test. It was a test to see how much I wanted it and how much my team wanted it.

"We definitely are hungry for that national championship, but we realize that it's all going to come to us. If we can do our routines, then the outcome is going to be great for us no matter what."

The SEC Freshman of the Year performed like the veteran she is Friday, helping the Gators move on and proving why her arrival received so much ballyhoo.

Sloan is as comfortable on the big stage as Jack Nicholson courtside at a Lakers game.

"Her personality is so charismatic and everyone feeds off of it,'' Faehn said. "Most importantly I think what she brings is that really fun, light attitude, which is great to have around."

As the second semifinal began, the Gators departed Pauley Pavilion for some food and laughs at a nearby restaurant.

No doubt Sloan's performance was a topic of conversation.

"When I went out there for floor, I really wasn't too concerned,'' she said. "I knew that if I went out there and did what I had been training, it wasn't going to be a problem. I had the same faith in my team.

"It's not necessarily a situation I want to be in, but if I am put in that situation, you kind of have to go with it."

Go with it she did, taking the Gators back to the Super Six with her.

No. 3 Florida Lacrosse Meets No. 4 Northwestern For Senior Day on Saturday

Another top-five matchup awaits No. 3 Florida on Saturday, as it hosts ALC rival and defending national champion No. 4 Northwestern for Senior Day. Opening draw is set for 12 p.m. at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.

The Gators will honor 13 members of the senior class and two managers after Saturday’s game, and is the first four-year class of seniors in program history. 11 of those players were part of the inaugural recruiting class that was ranked No. 1 in the country.  Overall, this senior class holds a 60-16 overall record and 19-7 in ALC play.  They have won two ALC regular season titles and an ALC tournament championship while making an appearance in two-straight NCAA tournaments and a Final Four appearance in 2012.

The game will be a decisive game for the ALC title and seeding for the tournament on May 2-5 in Baltimore, Md.  Florida can share a portion of the league title with Northwestern with a win, but other games around the league will determine seeding. The matchup between Johns Hopkins and Ohio State on Sunday as well as the league regular season finale with Johns Hopkins and Penn State on April 27 will all factor into how the tournament is seeded.

Florida is coming off a 21-10 win over ALC member Vanderbilt in Nashville on Sunday.  Senior attack Ashley Bruns (Ellicott City, Md.) was on fire, connecting for eight goals on nine shots posting a career and program-high in goals in the win.  Senior midfielder Brittany Dashiell (Bel Air, Md.) recorded a career-high seven draw controls while the Florida defense recorded a single-game high 20 turnovers. 

The Orange and Blue (15-1, 3-1 ALC) are led by senior attack Kitty Cullen (Rockville, Md.) with 50 points (37 goals, 13 assists) and sophomore midfielder Shannon Gilroy (Northport, N.Y.) leads with 39 goals and 45 draw controls. Six Gators each have 20 goals or more including Cullen, Gilroy, Bruns, Dashiell, senior attack Gabi Wiegand (Bay Shore, N.Y.) and sophomore midfielder Nora Barry (Marcellus, N.Y.). 

Florida seniors Sam Farrell (Millersville, Md.) and Emily Dohony (Parkton, Md.) anchor the defense as Farrell posts a team-high 17 caused turnovers and 18 ground balls while Dohony has a team-high 28 ground balls, 10 caused turnovers and seven draws.   

As a team, the Gators boast the third-best point total in the country (326), second-best scoring margin (8.13 gpg.), third-best scoring defense (6.88 gpg.), third-best scoring offense (15.19 gpg.) and fifth in ground balls (19.56 gbpg.).  

The defending national champions bring an 11-game win streak into Gainesville on Saturday. Their lone loss of the season came against UNC on February 22nd in Chapel Hill. They are led by senior attack Erin Fitzgerald with 51 points on a team-leading 46 goals and five assists.  Fitzgerald is backed by middies Alyssa Leonard, Amanda Macaluso and Taylor Thornton who have all chipped in 20 goals apiece. The ‘Cats bring the fifth-ranked defense with them, allowing just 7.29 goals per game.  They also have the sixth-best scoring margin (6.36 gpg.), 13th ranked offense (13.64 gpg.) and are 14th in draw controls (13.86). Northwestern is coming off two wins at Lakeside last week against then No. 4 Duke and No. 15 Stanford.

UF holds a 3-2 advantage in the all-time series including winning the last two meetings. Those two wins were significant for Florida, as they defeated the Wildcats, 8-7, on April 21, 2012 in Evanston to win their second-consecutive ALC title. They turned around to return to the championship game of the ALC tournament on May 5, 2012 where Florida powered past the ‘Cats, 14-7 to win their first tournament championship.  UF holds a 2-0 advantage inside Dizney Stadium.

Both teams are ranked in the top five of both major polls, with Florida coming in at No.3 and No. 4 in the IWLCA Coaches’ Poll  and ILWomen/deBeer Media Poll, respectively, while Northwestern comes in at No. 4/2.

NCAA Championships competition next for No. 1 Gator Gymnasts

The No. 1 seed Florida gymnastics team (15-2, 6-1 SEC) wants to bring back a golden souvenir from its West Coast trip this weekend. The Gators look to become the fifth team to claim the NCAA Championship at the 2013 competition which begins Friday in the New Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.

NCAA Championships Meet Info:

No. 1 Florida (15-2, 6-1 SEC) at NCAA Championships Date & Time: April 19-21, 2013 Site: New Pauley Pavilion (13,800) Friday, April 19 Team Semifinal Semifinal I – 3 p.m. (ET) Florida, Georgia, Illinois, LSU, Minnesota, Stanford Live Stats Live Video Stream Semifinal II – 9 p.m. (ET) Alabama, Arkansas, UCLA, Michigan, Oklahoma, Utah Live Stats Live Video Stream Saturday, April 20 at 7 p.m. (ET) NCAA Super Six (team final) Live Stats ESPN3 Live Stream Sunday, April 21 at 4 p.m. (ET) Individual Event Finals Live Stats ESPN3 Live Stream Television: Meet airs tape-delayed on ESPNU April 30 at 8 p.m. ET See Gator Gymnastics history in NCAA Championships 2013 NCAA Gymnastics Championships Information Site

Florida Gymnastics Florida Gators @GatorZoneGym @GatorZoneNews @UFCoachRhonda

To move ahead to Saturday’s Super Six final where the national team champion is determined, the Gators need to be among the top three teams in its semifinal session on Friday. Florida starts Semifinal I competition on the floor exercise. Start time for Semifinal I is set for 3 p.m. ET.

►Photo Gallery from Florida’s practice Friday

Florida has qualified for the NCAA Championships 31 times, missing only the 2000 event. The Gators advanced to the 2013 national stage by winning the Gainesville Regional, held April 6 in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. This is the third time Florida entered the NCAA Championships as No. 1, as UF was the top seed in 2012 and shared the No. 1 seed with Utah in 2007.

In the tightest NCAA Super Six between the top three teams in the meet’s history, Florida was runner-up in 2012 at 197.775. Alabama claimed its second consecutive title at 197.85 and UCLA was third at 197.75. The runner-up finish equals UF’s 1998 placing as the program’s highest ever in NCAA competition. The NCAA Super Six format began in 1993 and Florida's advanced to the team final round 10 times. Seven of UF’s NCAA Super Six appearances have come since Rhonda Faehn took over the Gator program for the 2003 season.

NCAA Championships Field
Seed	School	Region Score	RQS	NQS	Region Result
1	Florida	198.400	197.840	396.240	Gainesville champ
2	Oklahoma	197.375	197.570	394.945	Norman champ
3	Alabama	197.400	197.415	394.815	Tuscaloosa champ
4	Georgia	197.425	197.260	394.685	Corvallis champ
5	LSU	197.275	197.180	394.455	Columbus champ
6	UCLA	196.950	197.200	394.150	Columbus runner-up
7	Michigan	196.725	197.235	393.960	Morgantown champ
8	Minnesota	197.100	196.615	393.715	Gainesville runner-up
9	Stanford	196.800	196.710	393.510	Norman runner-up
10	Utah	196.400	197.105	393.505	Tuscaloosa runner-up
11	Arkansas	196.950	196.435	393.385	Corvallis runner-up
12	Illinois	196.025	196.210	392.235	Morgantown runner-up
Shading denotes teams in Florida’s semifinal session (April 19 – Semifinal I)

 Some notes about the Gators’ 2013 season:

►Florida is the NCAA Championships’ top-seed for the second consecutive year after winning the NCAA Gainesville Regional with the nation’s leading regional total of 198.40. That total also ranks behind 1998 Georgia’s 198.575 as the second-highest ever in NCAA Regional action.

►Of the nation’s top eight team totals of 2013, five were turned in by the Gators in their last seven meets. Those totals include No. 1 198.425 (3-1-13), No. 2 198.40 (4-6-13), No. 5 198.10 (2-8-13), No. 6 (198.00 (3-23-13) and No. T7 197.875 (3-16-13).

►Twenty-nine times this season, a nation’s gymnast has posted an all-around total of 39.65 or better. Twelve of those marks, or 41 percent, came from a Gator. Defending NCAA all-around champion sophomore Kytra Hunter has won half of her eight all-around competitions. Her winning totals rank No. 1 (39.80), No. 2 (39.775), No. T8 (39.70) and No. T12 (39.675) among the nation’s gymnasts. She also posted a 39.65 which shares No. 19 nationally. Freshman Bridget Sloan’s SEC winning total of 39.75 (which she has achieved twice in March) is No. T3. She also has totals ranking No. T8 (39.70) and No. T12 (39.675 2x). Seniors Ashanée Dickerson and Marissa King share No. 19 (39.65) on the list.

►Florida returns five gymnasts with a total of 29 All-America honors. Hunter and Johnson were the only gymnasts in 2012 NCAA Championships’ competition to earn the maximum of five All-America honors. Other returning All-Americans include Mackenzie Caquatto, Dickerson and King.

► Florida led all programs with five gymnasts earning a total of 13 honors on the first-ever National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women (NACGC) All-America list. All-Americans are determined by their final RQS standings in the GymInfo rankings entering NCAA Regional competition. Florida’s All-Americans include Mackenzie Caquatto (2 honors), Dickerson (2x), Hunter (4x), King (1x) and Sloan (4x).

Gators edge Eagles on road

FORT MYERS — Sophomore Josh Tobias snapped a 1-1 tie with an RBI single in the sixth inning and Florida (20-18) added three more runs in the seventh inning to post a 5-3 victory over FGCU (20-13) on Tuesday. 

Sophomore left-hander Bobby Poyner (1-0) allowed one run and four hits over a career-high 5.1 innings to lift the Gators to their sixth consecutive victory, while sophomore Taylor Gushue (2 for 4) delivered a two-run double in the seventh, senior Vickash Ramjit (2 for 4) chipped in with a two-out RBI single in the seventh and sophomore Justin Shafer went 2 for 5. Sophomore Johnny Magliozzi had three strikeouts over the final 1.2 innings to secure his ninth save in 10 opportunities this season. The Gators overcame five errors, leading to two unearned runs, in downing the Eagles in the teams' fourth meeting of the year.

Sophomore Casey Turgeon opened the game with a single into shallow center field off of senior Danny Patrick but was thrown out trying to steal second base. Gushue drew a two-out walk and advanced to third on Shafer's team-leading 14th double. Patrick kept the Gators scoreless by having redshirt sophomore Zack Powers fly out to center field.

Florida loaded the bases with one down in the fourth and tied the contest on an RBI single by freshman Harrison Bader.

The Gators tacked on three more runs in the seventh, highlighted by a two-run double by Gushue and two-out RBI single by Ramjit, to expand the count to 5-1.

With the Eagles down to their final three outs, Magliozzi worked a perfect ninth and notched a pair of strikeouts to send the Gators home winners. Florida had an 11-5 advantage in hits.

The Gators return to SEC play on Friday night with their first-ever trip to Missouri .

Men's Tennis Wins 4-1 on Senior Day Over Vanderbilt

The Florida men’s tennis team earned a rain-delayed victory over No. 13 Vanderbilt on Sunday afternoon, winning 4-1 after the match was moved indoors to the Perry Charles R. and Nancy V. Perry Indoor Facility. After the Gators won the doubles point outdoors, the match was moved indoors for singles and Mike Alford clinched the victory for UF.

With the win today, Florida closed the regular season with a 14-9 overall record and 7-5 mark in the Southeastern Conference. With the regular season complete, Florida will leave on Wednesday for Oxford, Miss., and begin play in the conference tournament on Friday. The Gators finished in a four-way tie for third place in the conference with Ole Miss, South Carolina and Texas A&M but won the tiebreaker to earn the three seed.

After about an hour rain delay, doubles action began and the Gators were able to score the first point with doubles victories on courts two and three. Alford and Luke Johnson beat Vanderbilt’s Rhys Johnson and Marc van der Merwe 8-5 at No. 2 doubles. Florent Diep and Gordon Watson then won 9-7 on court three against the Commodores’ Suresh Eswaran and Jeff Offerdahl.

Just as singles action began, the rain began falling again and the match was moved indoors. The change didn’t seem to affect Florida’s Bob van Overbeek, as he dispatched Offerdahl 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3 singles. On court one, Piro dropped the first set to 10th-ranked Ryan Lipman, but fought back to force a third set. In the deciding set, Piro earned a break to go up 5-4, and then served it out for the three-set win, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Vanderbilt got on the board with a win at No. 2 singles when Gonzales Austin beat Diep in three sets. When Alford finally got a chance to take the court against van der Merwe, he didn’t waste any time in earning a 6-3, 6-1 win to clinch the team victory for the Gators.

No. 3 Florida Lacrosse Handles Vanderbilt, 21-10

Senior attack Ashley Bruns (Ellicott City, Md.) tied a career and program single-game high eight goals as No. 3 Florida bested Vanderbilt, 21-10, in ALC action at Vanderbilt Soccer/Lacrosse Complex on Sunday afternoon.

UF (15-1, 3-1 ALC) tied a season-high 21 goals backed by Bruns who combined with five other teammates for multiple goals in the win. Senior attack Gabi Wiegand (Bay Shore, N.Y.) produced a hat trick while seniors Brittany Dashiell (Bel Air, Md.) and Kitty Cullen (Rockville, Md.) along with sophomores Nora Barry (Marcellus, N.Y.) and Nicole Graziano (Mendham, N.J.) all scored two goals apiece. In all, eight Gators scored in the win, helping their team to the second-largest goal total of the season. Florida scored a season-high 22 in a win over Stetson on March 19.

“Ashley played a really great game and was able to create some shots for us that kept us ahead in the first half,” Head coach Amanda O’Leary said. “Overall, I felt our offense stepped up when we needed it to.”

Dashiell recorded a career-high seven draws as Florida recorded 15 in the contest while winning ground balls 28-16.  She also recorded a game-high two assists while senior defenders Emily Dohony (Parkton, Md.) and Kayla Stolins (Glen Arm, Md.) each scooped up four ground balls.

The offense also produced 40 shots in the contest, for the most in a game this season and fourth-highest single game total in program history. Florida was also efficient on defense, recording a 14-of-15 clears on the day and held Vanderbilt to 18 shots.

Bruns was extremely proficient on the afternoon, going 8-for-9 while also recording two ground balls and scored five of her goals in the first half. She previously scored eight goals against Siena last season where she also set the school record for points with 11.

UF came out on fire in the second half after holding a three-goal lead at the break, scoring the first five goals to take a 16-8 lead before Vanderbilt scored with 20:40 to play. The Orange and Blue held solid on defense as it held the ‘Dores scoreless for the final 17:20 of the second half and close the game on a 5-0 run. 

Florida outscored Vanderbilt (2-13, 0-5 ALC), 10-2, in the final frame to seal their 15th win of the season.

Cullen got things started for the Gators with a goal a minute and ten seconds into the game.  Vanderbilt marched down the field to knot the score up at 1-1 on an Ashlin Dolan score 30 seconds later. Vanderbilt took a 2-1 lead about three minutes later on an Abby Wheeler score but Bruns would throw in back-to-back goals helping Florida to a 3-2 lead with 21:45 to play. 

The ‘Dores worked quickly again on offense to take a 4-3 lead while Bruns threw in a goal to make it 4-4.  Vanderbilt held its last lead on a goal by Carly Linthicum to go up 5-4 with 15:01 to play.

Florida worked a 4-0 run to take a lead for good starting with a senior attack Caroline Chesterman (South Nyack, N.Y.) goal. Dashiell, Bruns and Nicole Graziano upped the score to 8-5 with 8:43 to play. Florida completed a 7-1 run with three consecutive goals from Gilroy, Bruns and Dashiell before closing the half with a 11-8 lead.

Up next for the Gators is the regular season finale against ALC rival Northwestern on Saturday at Dizney Stadium with a 12 p.m. opening draw.  Florida will honor 13 players in its senior day recognition, along with two managers, upon the conclusion of the game.

Women's Tennis is No. 3 Seed in SEC Tournament

After a three-way tie for the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship, a draw by league officials determined Florida would be the No. 3 seed in the 14-team event that begins Wednesday in Starkville, Miss.

As one of the top four seed, the Gators (19-2, 12-1 SEC) earned a bye for the first two rounds and will play either sixth-seeded Vanderbilt, No. 11 seed Kentucky or No. 14 seed LSU on Friday, April 19 at 6 p.m. ET.

Georgia (19-2, 12-1 SEC) was drawn as the No. 1 seed, while Texas A&M (20-2, 12-1 SEC) was selected as the No. 2 seed. Alabama (18-4, 10-3 SEC) finished fourth to collect the final top seed.

During the regular season, Florida defeated Georgia, which defeated Texas A&M, which handed the Gators their only league setback.

Florida has won 18 of the 25 SEC Tournament titles contested, including each of the last three but played all as the No. 1 seed.

2013 SEC Tournament Schedule

A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre * Starkville, Miss.

Wednesday, April 17

Match 1: #12 Mississippi State vs. #13 Missouri – 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT)

Match 2: #11 Kentucky vs. #14 LSU – 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT)

Thursday, April 18

Match 3: #8 South Carolina vs. #9 Ole Miss – 9 a.m. ET (8 a.m. CT)

Match 4: #5 Tennessee vs. Match 1 winner – Noon ET (11 a.m. CT)

Match 5: #7 Auburn vs. #10 Arkansas – 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT)

Match 6: #6 Vanderbilt vs. Match 2 winner – 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT)

Friday, April 19

Match 7: #1 Georgia vs. Match 3 winner – 9 a.m. ET (8 a.m. CT)

Match 8: #4 Alabama vs. Match 4 winner – Noon ET (11 a.m. CT)

Match 9: #2 Texas A&M vs. Match 5 winner – 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT)

Match 10: #3 FLORIDA vs. Match 6 winner – 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT)

Saturday, April 20

Match 11: Winner of Matches 7, 8 – 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT)

Match 12: Winner of Matches 9, 10 – 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT)

Sunday, April 21

Match 13: Winner of Matches 11, 12 – 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT)

No. 3/4 Gator Softball Clinches Series at No. 18/19 Kentucky With 6-3 Victory Sunday

The No. 3/4 Florida softball team clinched its sixth SEC series of the season with a 6-3 victory against the No. 18/19 Kentucky Wildcats Sunday in Lexington at John Cropp Stadium, improving to 41-5 (14-4 SEC) on the season.

Freshman Taylor Schwarz (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) went a career-tying 3-for-3 in Saturday’s series finale with the Wildcats, connecting for a triple, homer, knocking in a team-best three RBI, while also scoring two of Florida’s six runs in the victory. UF put up nine hits, as six different Gator batters connected Sunday. Freshman Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) continued her hot weekend with a 2-for-4 performance in the series finale.

The Florida freshman trio of Stewart, Kirsti Merritt (Lake Panasoffkee, Fla.) and Schwarz led Florida at the plate through the weekend set against Kentucky, Stewart with a .545 clip (6-11), while Merritt and Schwarz both turned in 3-9 performances (.333). The Gators connected for a double, triple and four homers through the three-game series in Lexington.

With two wins over the ranked Wildcats, the Gators improved to 8-3 (.727) against top-25 opponents this season, using Friday’s 7-4 win and Sunday’s 6-3 victory to add two to the tally. Florida will return to John Cropp Stadium May 8-11 for the 2013 SEC Tournament, hosted by Kentucky.

The Gators scattered runs in four of seven innings Sunday, posting one in the first and sixth and two each in the second and third to top Kentucky.

A total effort from the Gators’ bullpen helped the Orange and Blue to the series win Sunday, as Florida used all three righties in its arsenal to hold off Kentucky. Junior ace Hannah Rogers (Lake Wales, Fla.) earned the start in the circle for the Gators in Sunday’s rubber match, while sophomore Alyssa Bache (Clearwater, Fla.) came on in relief in the bottom of the fourth for 2.1 innings of work to pick up the win (7-0). Sophomore Lauren Haeger (Peoria, Ariz.) worked the final 1.2 innings to pick up her second save of the season.

Florida faced both Lauren Cumbess (8-5) and Kelsey Nunley, Cumbess for the first 2.1 innings, before Nunley closed out the final 4.2 for UK. The Gators struck out just twice Sunday, its least amount of Ks in conference play and the least since three against Ole Miss March 31.

Haeger started the game out offensively for UF, sending a one-out RBI single up the middle to plate freshman Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) in the top of the first. Stewart sent a base hit to left to set things up for Haeger’s 48th RBI of the season.

A Griffin Joiner RBI double in the home half of the frame for Kentucky knotted things up at 1-1 between the Gators and Wildcats heading to the second, where Florida put up a two-spot, using three hits in the inning. Schwarz went yard with her fifth homer of the season, a solo shot, to lead off the frame for the Orange and Blue.

Next up, freshman Taylore Fuller (Trenton, Fla.) connected for a base hit to left field and sophomore Katie Medina (Downey, Calif.) dropped a sacrifice bunt to move her to second. With two outs on the board, freshman Kirsti Merritt (Lake Panasoffkee, Fla.) sent a single through the right side to bring Fuller across home for the 3-1 Gator advantage heading to the third.

UF didn’t back down, adding two runs on two hits, as Schwarz connected for her second hit of the day, a two-RBI success down the left-field line. Sophomore Briana Little (Middleburg, Fla.) drew a one-out walk and junior Stephanie Tofft (Lincoln, Calif.) sent a bouncer through the right side to put both in scoring position for Schwarz’s 20th and 21st RBI of the season and the 5-1 Gator lead, while also chasing Cumbess from the circle in favor of Nunley.

Kentucky was resilient, battling back with a two-run third frame for a 5-3 differential, still in favor of the Gators. Christian Stokes sent a double to right center, but was erased at second on a Joiner fielder’s choice. Next up, Cumbess, playing first base, sent a two-run homer to right center to bridge the gap and bring the Wildcats within two runs.

Florida opted to trade Rogers for Bache in the circle in the bottom of the fourth, and the sophomore righty was effective, holding the Wildcats scoreless in both the fourth and fifth innings.

Schwarz continued her stellar afternoon, leading off the top of the sixth with her first career triple, while Stewart used her speed to beat out a two-out infield single to plate Schwarz for the 6-3 Gator lead.

With Kentucky threatening in the bottom of the sixth with a runner on third and one out, the Gators brought in Haeger in the circle to finish things out for the Orange and Blue and Bache. A fielder’s choice with a play at the plate prevented UK from scoring, while also putting up the second out of the inning. With bases loaded after a walk, Haeger then forced Stokes to fly out to Merritt in center to hold off and strand three Wildcats.

Haeger sat down the side in the bottom of the seventh, including a strikeout for the final out of the game, to preserve the UF victory.

10-Run Sixth-Inning Lifts Florida Baseball To Series Sweep Of No. 8 South Carolina, 14-5

Florida (19-18/8-7 SEC) exploded for 10 runs on eight hits in the sixth inning to break a 4-4 stalemate en route to a 14-5 victory over No. 8 South Carolina (27-10/8-7 SEC) on Saturday afternoon at McKethan Stadium. In capturing their season-best fifth game in a row, all against ranked foes, the Gators totaled a season-high 17 hits to sweep the Gamecocks in a regular-season series for just the fourth time in school history and second time under Kevin O’Sullivan. UF has taken eight of its last 10 contests to move over the .500 plateau for the first time since Feb. 20, when it was 3-2.

“Any time that you get a sweep against anybody in this league, it’s a great weekend,” O’Sullivan said. “And, against a team like South Carolina – they’ve got a great team. It was just one of those odd innings, in the sixth, that we really put some good swings on the ball, found some holes and put runs together. I thought that we battled the entire day. We got a lot of contributions from a lot of different people in the lineup and we had a season-high in hits, with 17. We used six different pitchers and I thought everybody did their job. We walked more guys than we’re accustomed to, but overall, it was a great team victory and a great team weekend.”

After South Carolina tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the sixth, senior Vickash Ramjit (Miami, Fla.) (3-for-3, three runs) opened Florida’s extended at bat with a double to left field and went to third on a single into right field by sophomore Connor Mitchell (Tampa, Fla.) (1-for-3, two runs). Sophomore Evan Beal came in for freshman Jack Wynkoop (4-2, 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 K) and walked freshman Harrison Bader (Bronxville, N.Y.) (1-for-3, two RBI, two runs) to load the bases with none out.

Sophomore Josh Tobias (Greensboro, N.C.) came through with a pinch-hit RBI single off of freshman Vince Fiori to bring home Ramjit with the go-ahead run. After an RBI single by sophomore Casey Turgeon (Palm Harbor, Fla.) (3-for-5, two RBI) into left field scored Mitchell, freshman Richie Martin (Brandon, Fla.) (2-for-5) ripped a two-run single into right field to plate Bader and Tobias for an 8-4 count. After Gushue was hit by a pitch, freshman Curt Britt came in for Fiori (3 H, 4 R) and uncorked a wild pitch that scored Turgeon and advanced Martin and Gushue into scoring position.

Sophomore Justin Shafer (Lake Wales, Fla.) (2-for-4) roped a two-run double into left center to increase the margin to 11-4 and moved to third base on a base-hit into left center by redshirt sophomore Zack Powers (Seffner, Fla.) (3-for-5, two runs). Ramjit notched his second double of the inning down the left-field line to score Shafer and Mitchell’s RBI grounder brought Powers across. Bader’s first career sacrifice fly into center field enabled Ramjit to come home with the 10th run of the stanza and a 14-4 cushion, marking the most runs that the Orange and Blue had scored in an inning since 11 against Kentucky on April 2, 2005.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Ramjit said about the Gators’ prolific sixth inning. “We’ve been working all year and have had our ups and downs. Just to see after this weekend, our hard work is paying off and everything is starting to turn for the better. Everyone is still motivated.”

“We’ve done something like that before; against Mississippi State with eight runs [last Sunday in the fifth inning],” Tobias said. “We were just seeing pitches up, hitting them and attacking early. We weren’t getting two strikes or anything. We saw pitches in the count and putting good swings on them.”

The Gamecocks had seized a 1-0 lead in the second inning on bases-loaded walk to junior Graham Saiko. Freshman Max Schrock (2-for-5, three RBI) began the frame with a base-hit into right field and went to second on a one-out single into right field by sophomore Grayson Greiner (2-for-3). Freshman Jay Carmichael (Cape Coral, Fla.) plunked sophomore Joey Pankake to load the bases and had sophomore Tanner English foul out to Powers for the second out. Saiko earned a free pass to bring home Schrock with the opening run and Carmichael (1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K) was replaced by sophomore Bobby Poyner (Wellington, Fla.). The lefty had senior Chase Vergason (2-for-5) fly out to center field to strand the runners.

Florida countered with four runs on five hits in the bottom of the frame to grab a 4-1 lead. Powers roped a one-out single up the middle off of senior starter Colby Holmes and moved to second base on a balk. A base-hit into left field by Ramjit was followed by a squeeze bunt by Mitchell that scored Powers with the equalizer. A throwing error on the play by senior LB Dantzler allowed Ramjit to take third and Mitchell to reach second base. Bader moved the Gators in front with an RBI single into center field to plate Ramjit and senior Cody Dent (Boynton Beach, Fla.) executed a safety squeeze to drive in Mitchell with the third run. Turgeon expanded the margin to 4-1 with a single into right field that brought home Bader and ended the afternoon for Holmes (1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER). Senior reliever Patrick Sullivan had sophomore Taylor Gushue (Boca Raton, Fla.) ground out.

Schrock brought the Gamecocks within 4-3 in the third inning with a two-run homer to right field, his third big fly of the season. Shafer moved from the designated hitter spot for Poyner (0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R) and struck out sophomore Connor Bright before walking Greiner. The righty had Pankake fly out to left field to complete the frame.

A leadoff single by Shafer in the home part of the inning prompted another pitching change, as Wynkoop took over for Sullivan (0.1 IP, 2 H). Powers collected his second hit of the game with a single into left field and Ramjit sacrificed both of his teammates into scoring position with one down. Wynkoop notched consecutive strikeouts of Mitchell and Bader to hold the Gamecocks’ deficit at 4-3.

Pankake started the sixth with a single into left center field and Shafer had English pop up to Ramjit. After issuing a walk to Saiko, Shafer (3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 K, 3 BB) was replaced by junior Daniel Gibson (Lutz, Fla.). Vergason greeted the reliever with a base-hit into left field to load the bases with one down and an RBI fielder’s choice by Dantzler scored Pankake with the tying run and left runners on the corners with two out. Celek drew a walk to re-load the bases but Gibson had Schrock fly out to left field to strand the runners and complete the stanza.

South Carolina finalized the margin at 14-5 on an RBI fielder’s choice by Schrock in the eighth inning. After Gibson (2-0) worked 1.2 innings, giving up two hits and zero runs, freshman Parker Danciu (Delray Beach, Fla.) allowed two hits and a run in the eighth and freshman Eric Hanhold (Palm Harbor, Fla.) closed the game with a scoreless ninth. The Gators out-hit the Gamecocks, 17-9, and did not commit any errors.