SOFTBALL: No. 1 Florida Falls to No. 3 LSU, 14-10, to Set Up Decisive Game on Sunday
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The No. 1-ranked University of Florida softball team suffered its first loss of the 2015 season on Saturday, falling to No. 3 LSU by a score of 14-10 in the second game of the teams' three-game series. Florida overcame a nine-run deficit to tie the game at 10 after six innings, sparked by an historic three-home-run performance by junior Taylore Fuller.
LSU (26-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) plated nine runs in the top of the first on seven hits. A two-out single by Lauren Haeger and a walk to Bailey Castro brought up Fuller, who opened the scoring for Florida (28-1, 1-1 SEC) with a three-run home run to right-center field and cut the deficit to 9-3.
Four straight hit batters forced in a run for Florida in fourth, and a bases-loaded single by Kelsey Stewart made the score 9-5. LSU responded with a single and a sacrifice bunt to put a runner at second in the top of the fifth. The runner scored on a single to right, raising the Tigers' lead back to five.
Fuller led off the bottom of the fifth with her second homer, a solo shot to center that cut Florida's deficit to 10-6. The momentum continued for the Orange and Blue in the sixth when walks by Kayli Kvistad and Kirsti Merritt and a single by Stewart set up the Trenton, Fla. native's third home run of the day, a grand slam that tied the game at 10.
Three singles for the Tigers in the seventh set up a two-out grand slam that put LSU back in front at 14-10, producing the final margin.
LSU (26-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) plated nine runs in the top of the first on seven hits. A two-out single by Lauren Haeger and a walk to Bailey Castro brought up Fuller, who opened the scoring for Florida (28-1, 1-1 SEC) with a three-run home run to right-center field and cut the deficit to 9-3.
Four straight hit batters forced in a run for Florida in fourth, and a bases-loaded single by Kelsey Stewart made the score 9-5. LSU responded with a single and a sacrifice bunt to put a runner at second in the top of the fifth. The runner scored on a single to right, raising the Tigers' lead back to five.
Fuller led off the bottom of the fifth with her second homer, a solo shot to center that cut Florida's deficit to 10-6. The momentum continued for the Orange and Blue in the sixth when walks by Kayli Kvistad and Kirsti Merritt and a single by Stewart set up the Trenton, Fla. native's third home run of the day, a grand slam that tied the game at 10.
Three singles for the Tigers in the seventh set up a two-out grand slam that put LSU back in front at 14-10, producing the final margin.
