GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The sixth-ranked Florida softball team fell, 6-0, in its series opening game against No. 15 Tennessee Friday evening at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

The Gators (26-4, 4-3 SEC) and the Lady Vols (21-8, 4-2 SEC) went blow for blow in a pitcher's duel between starters Elizabeth Hightower (8-1) and Erin Edmoundson (14-2). The pair of hurlers worked scoreless frames through each of the first four innings of play.

UF threatened to break the scoreless tie in the home half of the 4^th inning when redshirt-junior Skylar Wallace nearly lifted a ball over the center field wall. However, UT center fielder however reeled it in to spoil what would have been the first run of the game.

Tennessee capitalized on the momentum gained from the defensive play and broke onto the scoreboard first in the top of the 5^th inning of action via a solo home run by McKenna Gibson. Gibson lifted the 2-2 pitch offered over the left field wall to give her team a 1-0 lead.

The Gators rallied in the bottom of the 5th inning of play and picked up back-to-back singles from Cheyenne Lindsey and Avery Goelz. Freshman Sam Roe move the duo over the second and third base via a SAC bunt, which was her fifth of the season. UT however found a way to get out of the frame with no damage done.

The Lady Vols went on to strike for two more in the top of the 6^th frame of play to take a 3-0 lead. Ashley Morgan in the eighth spot of the lineup doubled down the left field line with two outs to score Ivy Davis and pinch-runner Kaitlin Parsons.  

Florida pushed back in the home half of the inning after Wallace notched her second hit and second stolen base of the game to put a runner in scoring position. The Woodstock, Ga. native singled up the middle, stole her 25^th bag of the season and then moved to third when the throw from catcher Kelcy Leach bounced into center field. Edmoundson and Tennessee were able to escape the inning with a flyout to left field.

UT closed out the scoring in the top of the 7^th inning with three runs on four hits to push the lead out to 6-0.

The Gators now look to bounce back and even the series against the Lady Vols Saturday at 1 p.m. The contest is set to be streamed digitally via SEC Network+.
 
Notables:

• The Gators hold a record of 53-30 (.638) over the Lady Vols and a 28-9 (.757) record when playing at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
  • The Orange & Blue took the last three-game series, 2-1, which occurred during the 2019 NCAA Gainesville Super Regional, but Tennessee took the regular season series that year during SEC Opening Weekend, 2-1.
  • The Gators are 12-6 against the Lady Vols in series opening games since 2001.