TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No.1-seed Florida advanced the SEC Softball Tournament Championship with a 7-6 come-from-behind victory over No.4-seed Missouri Friday afternoon at Rhoads Stadium. It's the 12^th comeback victory of the season for UF.

The Gators (42-8) initially fell behind 1-0 after the 1^st inning of play, but rallied for five-straight runs to take a 5-1 lead into the final two frames of action. The Tigers (38-15) were able cut the lead down to 5-2 in the 6^th and retook the lead, 6-5, in the 7^th with four more runs.

Despite the deficit with only three outs left, Florida found a way for another thrilling walk-off win. The rally started with top of the order due up. Hannah Adams drew a leadoff walk and Emily Wilkie (1-for-2) reached after she was hit by the 2-2 offering from Missouri reliever Emma Nichols (6-3).

Charla Echols (2-for-4) advanced Adams and pinch-runner Katie Kistler into scoring position with a groundout to second base. That brought to the plate Kendyl Lindaman (1-for-3), who launched her 70^th career home run in the 3^rd inning that gave UF a 3-1 lead, and she delivered a SAC fly via a line drive to left field deep enough to score Adams from third and tie the game 6-6.

Kistler advanced to third on the play and Jaimie Hoover (1-for-3) stepped into the box with the game on the line. Hoover worked a 3-1 count before she drove a groundball to Jenna Laird at shortstop. Laird mishandled the ball for a split-second, which allowed Kistler to score the game-winning run and Hoover to reach safely at first base for the 7-6 walk-off victory.

Florida scored one run in the 2^nd inning to tie the game, 1-1, via a Baylee Goddard (1-for-3) RBI single through the left side that scored Hoover. Lindaman plated two more to take the lead in the 3^rd with her eighth home run of the season and second of the tournament and Echols was responsible for the two runs scored in the 5^th.

The Newnan, Ga. native produced an RBI double that scored Wilkie, then later stole home to give UF the 5-1 lead.

Natalie Lugo (16-2) picked up the win in relief.

The Gators will play No. 3-seed Alabama Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Notable Notes:

• The Gators earned the No. 1 seed for the SEC Tournament for the ninth time in program history, which is the most among SEC schools.
  • The Gators hold a 34-27 (.557) record in the SEC Tournament and holds the third best winning percentage among SEC programs in SEC Tournament play.
    • The 34 all-time wins are the third most by any SEC program in the tournament
    • Head Coach Tim Walton holds a 25-9 record and a .735 win percentage, which is the best win percentage in SEC Tournament history.
  • UF's five SEC Tournament Championships are tied for the most among programs alongside LSU and Alabama.
    • Florida – 2008, 2009, 2013, 2018, 2019
    • Alabama – 1998, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2012
    • LSU – 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007
  • The No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament holds a 56-15 record and the Gators hold 18-5 record as the top seed.
  • The Gators, the reigning tournament champs, won back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019.
    • No team has won three-straight SEC Tournament Championships.
    • Only three programs have won back-to-back tournament titles and the Gators are the only program to have done it twice.
      • LSU – 2001 & 2002
      • Auburn – 2015 & 2016
      • Florida – 2008 & 2009, 2018 & 2019
• This is UF's ninth SEC Tournament Championship appearance which is the second most finals appearances in the league.
• Florida played Missouri earlier in the regular season in Columbus, Mo.
  • The Gators went 2-1 against the Tigers 5-2, 2-10 (5) and 3-2 in the three-game series.
  • The program holds a 15-5 record all-time over Missouri.
    • The Gators are 2-0 all-time against the Tigers in the SEC Tournament.
• The Gators have a total of 12 comeback victories on the season.
  • The program overcame one run deficit in the 7^th inning today against Missouri.
• The SEC Tournament are the first neutral site games for the Gators this season.
  • UF is now 2-0 in neutral site games.
• Hannah Adams has reached base safely in 35 consecutive games. Overall, she has reached base safely in 48-of-49 games played.
• Charla Echols tabbed her 17^th multi-hit game of the season.
  • Echols also extended her reached base safely streak to 32 consecutive games.
  • She is also riding a five-game hitting streak.
• Kendyl Lindaman turned in her 11^th multi-RBI game of the season.