ORLANDO, Fla. – The fourth-ranked Florida softball team cruised past DePaul, 11-3 (5 innings), late Friday evening to end the first day of The Knights Classic at the UCF Softball Complex. UF cranked out a season-high 15 hits in the run-rule victory.

The Gators (13-0) had five players turn in multi-hit performances in the effort over the Blue Demons (5-5) with senior Cheyenne Lindsey, redshirt junior Skylar Wallace, sophomore Katie Kistler and freshmen Kendra Falby and Reagan Walsh picked up two hits each tonight.

The Orange & Blue scored one run each in the 1^st and 2^nd inning of play to take an early 2-0 lead over DePaul. Wallace drove in Hannah Adams on an RBI double in the 1^st and Sam Roe pushed across Lindsey and the 2^nd frame of play to extend the lead.

The Blue Demons stormed back to take the lead 3-2 in the top of the 3^rd inning via a pair of hits and a rare defensive miscue by the Gators.

Florida didn't trail long as the team scored in every inning of tonight's game and used a big bottom of the 3^rd inning to not only regain the lead, but pushed it out to a comfortable 9-3 margin. The seven runs in the frame are the most scored by UF in a single inning so far this season.

UF capped the scoring with a run in the 4^th inning via a SAC fly from Wallace that scored Emily Wilkie and a game-ending RBI single from Walsh in the 5^th inning that scored Wallace.

Graduate transfer Marissa Mesiemore got the start and pitched 2.1 innings, before being relieved by freshman Lexie Delbrey (5-0) who hurled 2.2 innings and picked up her fifth win of the season.

The Gators return to action Saturday, Feb. 26, at 6:30 p.m. against Oakland for day two of The Knights Classic.
 
Notables:

• Florida pounded out a season-high 15 hits in tonight's win over the Blue Demons.
  • It's the seven game with 10 or more hits this season.
  • It's also the first time UF has produced 15 hits in a game since Southeastern Louisiana (Feb. 16, 2020).
• The team's 11 runs tonight make it the third time this season that they have scored 10 or more runs in a game.
• UF had five players notch multi-hit games tonight.
• The Gators scored seven runs in the 3^rd inning against DePaul, which is the most runs scored in an inning this season.
• The Orange & Blue added two more bunt singles to the season tally tonight and now have 16 bunt singles.
• Skylar Wallace stole two bases tonight and is now 11-for-11 on the year and the Gators as a team are 33-for-36.

 
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