AUBURN, Ala. – The seventh-ranked Florida softball team rallied late but fell, 3-1, to No. 17 Auburn in the series opening game of the series Friday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field.

Senior Elizabeth Hightower (9-2) turned in a complete-game performance with a season-high nine strikeouts for the Gators (28-6, 5-5 SEC), but the Tigers (29-4, 7-3 SEC) used a pair of timely home runs to pick up the win.

The pitcher's duel between Hightower and Tigers starter Maddie Penta (18-2) lasted four three and a half scoreless innings before AU was able to break onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the 4^th inning of play.

Aubrie Lisenby drew only Auburn's second walk of the contest to put a runner on with one out and Aspyn Godwin drove her in on a shot over the left field wall. The Tigers went on to tack on an additional run in the 5^th inning to bring the scored to 3-0 via a Nelia Peralta home run to center field.

The Gators fought back and closed down the Tigers lead to 3-1 in the 6^th inning of play. Hannah Adams led off the inning with a single through the left side of the infield and Charla Echols was hit by the pitch thrown by Penta to put runners on first and second.

The duo advanced to second and third on a wild pitch during Cheyenne Lindsey's at-bat and the senior from Chattanooga, Tenn. promptly drove in Adams later in the at-bat on a sacrifice fly to center field.

Florida continued to fight in the 7^th inning when Kendra Falby and Avery Goelz strung together back-to-back singles. The hard-hit balls prompted the Tigers to make a change in the circle and bring in Shelby Lowe.

Skylar Wallace dropped in a single to shallow right field off of Lowe, but the Tigers reliever was eventually able to get out of the jam without further damage.

The Gators and the Tigers return to action Saturday at 3 p.m. ET with the game set to be air on SEC Network.

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