TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – No.10 Florida softball took No. 3 Florida State the distance for the second time this season, but fell 2-1, Wednesday night at JoAnne Graf Field.

The Gators (38-14) and the Seminoles (46-5) found themselves in the midst of another pitchers' duel as starters Elizabeth Hightower (12-7) and Kathryn Sandercock (25-1) dueled in a pair of complete-game efforts. It was Hightower's seventh and Sandercock's eighth of the year.

Florida scratched across the first run of the game to take an early 1-0 lead over Florida State in the top of the second inning. Freshman Sam Roe picked up the Orange & Blue's first hit of the game off Sandercock with a one-out infield single, while sophomore Katie Kistler kept the inning going with another single to center field and freshman Cali Decker loaded the bases with a full-count hit-by-pitch.

With the bases loaded and one out, Avery Goelz plated Roe in the ensuing at-bat via an RBI groundout to Devyn Flaherty at second base.

The Seminoles evened up the score 1-1 in the bottom of the third thanks to back-to-back two out hits from Kaley Mudge and Sydney Sherrill. Mudge ripped a shot just under the outstretched glove of Goelz at first and Sherrill double to the game in left center to plate Mudge from first.

Hightower and Sandercock battled back-and-forth and traded scoreless frames for the following three innings.

During that span in the fifth inning, freshman Kendra Falby flashed her speed and arm strength out in left field as she doubled up FSU's Josie Muffley at first on a line drive out hit by Mudge to end the inning.

The deciding run came in the home half of the seventh as the Seminoles Jahni Kerr sent a 2-0 pitch over the wall for a solo home run.

Next up for the Gators is four games against FGCU and Mercer to close out the 2022 regular season this upcoming Friday and Saturday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

Notables:

• Katie Kistler extended her hitting streak out to five games after going 1-for3 at the plate.
• Skylar Wallace pushed her reached base safely streak out to 21 games by drawing a walk.
• The Gators double play from left field that featured a grab and throw from Kendra Falby to Avery Goelz at first base is the third double play of the season from the outfield.
  • This is also Falby's second double play initiated from the outfield this season. The last occurred March 20, at Texas A&M.

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