FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The eighth-seeded Florida softball team exited the 2023 Southeastern Conference Softball Tournament after a 4-0 defeat to top-seeded Tennessee in the quarterfinal round held at Bogle Park.

The Gators (36-20) and the Lady Vols (42-8) met for the fourth time this season after the two programs competed in a three-game regular season series in Knoxville, Tenn. The Orange and Blue held UT's offense to just four runs, the fewest amount between the two teams in the four games play, in today's contest.

Florida threatened to open up the scoring in the top of the 1^st inning as Kendra Falby struck a base hit through the left side of the Tennessee infield. Falby followed her base knock with her 25^th stolen base of the year to move into scoring position with one out. Charla Echols battled through an eight-pitch at-bat, but was forced to fly out to left field. Reagan Walsh followed up with a full-count walk, but UT right-handed starter Ashley Rogers (16-1) worked out of the jam with an infield popup.

Tennessee went on to take the initial 1-0 lead in the contest in the bottom of the 1^st inning of play. Zaida Puni started the rally with a one-out infield single back to the circle, which was followed by a walk to McKenna Gibson. Skylar Wallace made an outstanding defensive play up the middle to retire Gibson at second base on a fielder's choice by Rylie West, but it was Lair Beautae that plated the Puni for the first run of the game via an RBI single through the left side.

The Lady Vols added to their lead in the bottom of the 2^nd inning and extended it out to 3-0 with a two-out, two-run home run by Kiki Milloy. Katie Taylor reached via a two-out error that put one runner on first for Milloy's shot to center field.

The Gators made another run at a rally in the top of the 3^rd inning when Skylar Wallace picked up a one-out single through the right side of the Lady Vols infield. Wallace was retired at second base for the second out in the following at-bat on Falby's fielder's choice to third and Echols reached via a walk to put runners on second and third with two outs after she fought through a seven-pitch at-bat. However, Rogers was able to escape the inning once again but this time via a strikeout.

UT tacked on a run in the bottom of the 4^th inning to push its lead out to 4-0 over UF.  After a fly out and a groundout induced by left-handed starter Rylee Trlicek (13-5), the Lady Vols reached via a hit-by-pitch and Puni notched her first RBI of the game with a double to left field.

The Gators attempted to rally once again in the top of the 5^th inning. With two-outs, Wallace drew her 49^th walk of the year on just four pitches and Falby put runners at second and third via an infield single, which also induced an errant throw by Puni at third that went out of play and kept a sprinting Wallace from scoring. Rogers once again escaped the inning after she fielded her position in the circle and made the throw to first to end the inning.

Elizabeth Hightower entered in relief of Trlicek to start the bottom of the 5^th inning of play and went on to hold Tennessee's offense to just two hits over the final two innings of play.

Notables:

• Florida's record in the SEC Softball Tournament is now 37-30.
• Kendra Falby stole her 25^th base of the season in the top of the 1^st inning after she reached with a one-out single through the left side of the Tennessee infield.
  • Falby finished the game 2-for-3 with a walk for her team-leading 20^th multi-hit game of the year.
  • It's the second consecutive season that Falby has produced 20 or more multi-hit games in a season as she recorded 29 in her freshman campaign.
• Skylar Wallace went 1-for-2 in today's game and has now reached base safely 21-straight games and in 51 of 52 games played overall.
  • Wallace also drew her 49^th walk of the season in the top of the 5^th inning.

 
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