
If it’s May, Florida must be playing a NCAA Super Regional against another SEC softball team. It has happened five consecutive years and each year it has been a different team from the conference.
This weekend, it is Tennessee coming to town for the best-of-three starting at 7 p.m Friday. The winner advances to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
These Super Regionals against the SEC have seen just about everything from walk-offs to run rules. A quick look at the four consecutive:
2015 — Kentucky
Florida 2-0.
Scores: Florida 7-0; Florida 1-0.
Lauren Haeger’s legend was starting to grow as she homered in the first game and threw a two-hit shutout and won the second game to go to 28-1 on the season.
Aftermath: Florida won its second straight national title, beating three straight SEC teams in Oklahoma City before taking two of three from Michigan in the final.
2016 — Georgia
Georgia 2-0
Scores: Georgia 3-0; Georgia 3-2.
Chelsea Wilkinson shut out the Gators in the first game, but it looked like Florida would force a third game at home up 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh. Then pinch-hitter Kaylee Puailoa hit a two-out, two-run homer to dead center to suddenly end Florida’s season.
Aftermath: Georgia beast FSU in the first game of the WCWS, but lost its next two, both to SEC teams.
2017 — Alabama
Florida 2-1.
Scores: Alabama 3-0, Florida 2-0; Florida 2-1.
Alexis Osorio shut out the Gators on three hits in the opener, but Amanda Lorenz hit a two-run homer and Delanie Gourley threw a shutout to even the series. In the deciding game, Florida scored twice in the first inning and Kelly Barnhill made it hold up with 12 strikeouts.
Aftermath: Florida beat a pair of SEC teams in Oklahoma City and made the final, where the Gators lost in two to Oklahoma, losing the first game in 17 innings.
2018 —- Texas A&M
Florida 2-1.
Scores: Florida 5-4; Texas A&M 5-4; Florida 5-3.
It was a wild weekend last season. Florida trailed 4-2 before scoring three in the seventh on a Lorenz homer and a bases-loaded walk. Tori Vidales hit a three-run homer in the fifth to win the second game. In game three, Vidales hit a two-run homer in the seventh to give A&M the lead, but Jordan Matthews trumped it with a three-run homer with two out in the bottom of the inning.
Aftermath: Florida beat Georgia in its WCWS opener, but lost the next two games to UCLA and Oklahoma.
NCAA Gainesville Super Regional
(Best-of-3; x-if necessary) |
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Host school is home team for Game 1; visiting school is home team for Game 2; coin flip determines home team for Game 3
At Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium |
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Florida vs. Tennessee Friday: Florida (47-15) vs. Tennessee (42-15), 7 p.m., ESPN2 |
Saturday: Florida vs. Tennessee, 6 p.m., ESPN
x-Sunday: Florida vs. Tennessee, 2 p.m., ESPNU
Fans looking to purchase tickets for the 2019 Gainesville Super Regional should contact the Gator Ticket Office for more information.
This is when it gets really exciting for the softball team. Good to be home for the Supers. Go Lady Gators!
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