Gator softball team comes back to edge Kentucky in series opener, 3-2

LEXINGTON, Ken. (WCJB) -Entering the night just 10-11 in SEC play, the Gator softball team picked up a clutch victory on Friday to begin its final conference series. No. 16 Florida rallied from down 2-0 to beat No. 23 Kentucky, 3-2 to get back to .500 in league play. Florida improved to 35-17 overall.

Pal Egan delivered the decisive blow, a go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the seventh, her sixth of the season, to give UF its first lead of the night. Prior to Egan’s blast, Florida was 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners for the game. Egan also drove in Florida’s only other run on a fifth inning sacrifice fly.

Skylar Wallace went 0-for-1, but was on base three times on two walks and a hit-by-pitch. She also stole a base and scored the fifth inning run.

Elizabeth Hightower (15-10) went the distance, allowing just two hits and striking out three batters. Hightower did not allow a hit after UK’s Kennedy Sullivan hit a two-run homer in the first inning. It was the fifth-year senior’s first seven-inning outing since April 6 vs. Auburn.

Florida and Kentucky resume their series on Saturday at 3 p.m.

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