Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It's not often the Florida softball team is staring down a three-run deficit. In fact, Thursday night's Super Regional opener against Texas A&M marked just the seventh time — in 62 games — a UF opponent scored as many as four runs this season.

It's also not often the Gators lose. 

"It's the postseason, so it doesn't matter how you win," UF outfielder and 2018 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year Amanda Lorenz said. "Just that you win."

The raucous crowd at Pressly Stadium was reminded of as much Thursday night when UF, the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh for a walk-off 5-4 victory over Southeastern Conference rival Texas A&M in Game 1 of the best-of-three Super Regional. 

UF trailed 4-2 and had just four hits through the first six innings when huddling before its final at-bat. Coach Tim Walton's message was simple. 

"Find a way to get on base." 

By any means, which for the 2018 Gators often has translated to robotic-like patience at the plate and making pitchers throw strikes. In regional play last week, for example, UF batters walked 26 times in two wins over Ohio State and simply outlasted Buckeyes pitchers. But on Thursday, A&M starter Trinity Harrington walked just four through six innings and had out-dueled UF All-American Kelly Barnhill, whose ugly third inning (when she gave up three runs on just one hit, walked three, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch) had dug the Gators a 3-0 hole at home.

Though UF got a run back in its third on Lorenz's RBI-run double, Harrington had allowed just four hits heading into the seventh and struck out Sophia Reynoso looking to start the inning, leaving the Gators just two outs from falling in a one-game-to-none hole with a berth in the Women's College World Series on the line. 

That's when Lorenz mashed a homer to right for her third hit of the game and second RBI. It was 4-3. 
 
"Clutch," catcher Janell Wheaton said afterward. "For her hit to be a home run, we said, 'OK, this is going to happen one way or another.' "

Turned out to be "another" because the Gators got no more hits. 

They just found ways to get on base.

Nicole DeWitt's groundout pushed the home team to its final out. But then Kayli Kvistad drew a walk. Next up, freshman Jordan Matthews took some pitches too, but with two strikes had to swing away and put a grounder toward the Aggies second baseman. Kaitlyn Alderink fielded the play neatly going to her right and flipped the ball to shortstop Kristen Cuyos for what should have been the game-ending force out. Cuyos, though, bobbled the ball as she stumbled across the bag. Lily Mann, pinch-running for Kvistad, was safe at second.

Next up, Jaimie Hoover tried to (and did) work the count against Harrington, but like Matthews, had to swing at a good two-strike pitch. Her grounder to short was not hit hard, but it slipped through Cuyos' legs, leaving all runners safe and the bases loaded for Aleshia Ocasio.



Harrington walked Ocasio to tie the game. 

Out came A&M coach Jo Evans and in came sophomore relief pitcher Payton McBride to pressure-packed circumstances to face Wheaton, the battle-tested and tough UF senior. Wheaton's approach? 

"Just make her bring the ball to me," she said. "Gator Nation was so loud. It was hard to hear, so I can only imagine how she felt. Just have some patience in the moment, and be bigger than the moment."

That didn't necessarily mean putting bat on ball, either. 

Just find a way on base.

Wheaton walked and the Gators walked off. 

"We gave ourselves every opportunity to beat Florida on its home field in a Super Regional," Evans said. "We didn't finish."

Florida did by scoring three runs, including the tying and go-ahead run when down to its final out — and did it without a hit. That's finding a way.

Another win Friday night (or Saturday, if necessary) and the Gators will find their way back to Oklahoma City.