Kentucky softball falls to Florida in game two of their series
The Kentucky Wildcats softball team has been solid overall this season, but has struggled in SEC play. That continued on Saturday, as the Cats lost to the Florida Gators once again, this time by a score of 9 – 1.
For the second straight day, Kentucky loses via the run rule. The Wildcats scored first, but Florida plated 3 runs in the first inning, three runs in the fourth inning, and three more in the sixth.
Ally Hutchins had Kentucky’s only hit, and drove in their only run in the first inning. Stephanie Schoonover struggled as the starter, giving up six runs in 3.2 innings.
For Florida, pitcher Ava Brown continued her fantastic season, with a complete game one-hitter. Reagan Walsh drove in four runs, including a two-run homer in the sixth inning. Jocelyn Erickson and Katie Kistler had two hits apiece.
The Wildcats and Gators play the final game of the series on Sunday at noon.
LSU took Game 1 against Florida with a 6-1 victory.
LSU took Game 1 against Florida with a 6-1 victory.
[autotag]Luke Holman[/autotag] got the start on the mound for the Tigers and unlike last week, he was phenomenal. He finished the night with six innings pitched. He allowed one run on one hit, 13 strikeouts, and three walks.
The Tigers got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning as LSU took a two-run lead thanks to a [autotag]Josh Pearson[/autotag] RBI single and an [autotag]Ethan Frey[/autotag] RBI single.
The game went quiet until the top of the fourth inning when the Gators got on the board with a solo homer. That was Florida’s only hit and only run against Holman all night.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, LSU got some insurance runs as [autotag]Michael Braswell III[/autotag] walked with the bases loaded, [autotag]Paxton Kling[/autotag] hit a sacrifice fly, and [autotag]Mac Bingham[/autotag] hit an RBI single to give the Tigers a 5-1 lead.
In the top of the ninth inning, Griffin Herring remained on the mound and got the Tigers through the inning unscathed. Herring entered to pitch after Holman and he finished the game after pitching three full innings and allowing zero runs on three hits and three strikeouts.
Game 2 of the series will be Saturday at 6 p.m. CT.
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Kentucky softball lost to Florida in the series opener
The Kentucky Wildcats softball team has been playing well lately. After dropping three games to LSU, they won six out of seven games. On Friday, they began a three game series with the Florida Gators.
Game one of the series did not go well for the Wildcats. Florida scored a run early, then Kentucky took a 2 – 1 lead in the top of the third. In the bottom of the third, though, Florida scored nine runs to blow it open. They would ultimately win 10 – 2.
Jenna Blanton had two hits for Kentucky, while Ally Hutchins had their lone RBI. The Cats had just five hits on the day.
Florida, meanwhile, had two players in Reagan Walsh and Korbe Otis who drove in four runs apiece. The game was called after five innings as the run rule was invoked.
Kentucky and Florida meet again on Saturday. The game is at 3:00 PM and can be viewed on SEC Network+.
KJ Simpson’s game-winner couldn’t have been more dramatic.
It seems like we see it all too often at this point.
A team sneaks into the tournament via the First Four and makes a magical run much further than anyone expected. We’ve already watched VCU (2011), Wichita State (2016), Syracuse (2018) and UCLA (2021) do it.
Now we can add No. 10 Colorado (2024) to the list — and calling this team “magical” might be underselling how it held off No. 7 Florida on Friday.
After the Gators clawed their way back from down 12 with 4:30 left in regulation to knot the game at 100, KJ Simpson put up a step-back jumper with five seconds on the clock that looked like it would bounce forever before deciding to go in.
Seriously, the ball looked like it would deflate before it went through the net. What an unreal shot and make from Simpson, who finished with a team-high 23 points — none bigger than the final two.
Up next for the Buffaloes is a date with No. 2 Marquette on Sunday. We’ll find out soon enough if Colorado has a little more magic left.
The Tigers will look to bounce back against Florida at home this weekend.
LSU entered SEC play over the weekend riding high.
Coach Jay Johnson’s team was universally ranked second in the nation with just two losses on the year, and it began the week with a pair of easy midweek wins against North Dakota State.
But in their first SEC series of the season, the Tigers dropped two of three on the road against Mississippi State in Starkville, including a 15-5 run-rule defeat on Sunday.
LSU was on a roll entering this past weekend, but lost on Friday and Sunday at Mississippi State to drop their first series of SEC play. The Tigers were even run-ruled in Sunday’s rubber match. Even after an off weekend, though, LSU does not fall far. While there might be more questions about this team than last year’s College World Series winning squad, the Tigers are likely to remain as one of the nation’s top teams. They’ll look to show that this weekend at home against Florida.
Next up is a home series against a Florida team that ranks sixth and is coming off a series win over a Texas A&M team that was previously undefeated and ranked in the top five.
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The Jaguars’ general manager reportedly planned to visit the UF Pro Day to take a closer look at Ricky Pearsall.
Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke planned to attend the Florida Gators’ Pro Day on Thursday, according to Mark Long of the Associated Press, but cancelled his trip after wide receiver Ricky Pearsall opted out of the workout.
Wide receiver jumps out a logical top priority for the Jaguars after the team attempted, but failed to bring back Calvin Ridley after signing Gabe Davis in free agency. It’s no surprise that Jacksonville is interested in finding more top talent at the position and Pearsall could fit the bill.
Jaguars GM Trent Baalke was supposed to attend UF Pro Day. The Jags even sent a camera crew for their in-house production “The Hunt.” But Baalke apparently backed out when WR Ricky Pearsall opted out of workouts.
Potential insight into what Jax is thinking with 2nd-round pick
Pearsall, a former Arizona State receiver, finished with 1,547 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns in two seasons at Florida. At the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, Pearsall measured in at 6’1, 189 pounds and ran a 4.41 40-yard dash with a 42-inch vertical jump.
In a draft class loaded with receiver talent, Pearsall is largely expected to be a Day 2 selection in April.
Baalke’s planned attendance that was reportedly contingent on Pearsall’s participation suggests the Jaguars are keeping a close eye on the Gators receiver.
The Texas A&M baseball tumbled a few spots in the rankings after dropping the SEC series opener to the Florida Gators
Texas A&M hit their first roadblock on the season when they traveled to Gainsville Florida to take on the No. 8 Florida Gators. The pitching took a step back after being one of the top rotations in the country for the first few weeks. The lack of quality opponents could take some of the blame as the SEC is a whole other ball game compared to the non-conference schedule the Aggies completed with an unblemished record.
There was a lot to learn from the past weekend and now that the honeymoon is over, this talented bunch is ready to get back to business. Coach Jim Schlossnagle will probably start to look at his weekend starters again and the hitting coach will need to get things back dialed in during the midweek game.
Dropping the SEC series opener is not the end of the world because there is a ton of baseball left to the played, but it helps answer a few questions the college baseball world wanted to know once the Aggies played a team closer to their caliber.
No. 14 North Carolina State; No. 20 South Carolina; No. 24 Texas; No. 25 Texas Tech;
Others Receiving Votes
Mississippi State 58; South Carolina 56; North Carolina State 44; Georgia Tech 23; Texas Tech 20; Southern Miss 17; Miami (FL) 16; Ole Miss 15; UCF 12; Texas 11; Nebraska 8; Oregon 7; Indiana State 7; Georgia 7; Louisiana Tech 5; Troy 3; Oklahoma State 2; Northeastern 2; Maryland 2;
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.
Caleb Love, Hunter Dickinson and Harrison Ingram are familiar names in fresh places.
Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments, and concerns in this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Bryan Kalbrosky.
Now that we’ve reached March Madness, it’s a great time to look at the impact of the transfer portal in NCAA men’s college basketball.
Although it’s undeniable that roster continuity matters when it comes to constructing a championship contender, it’s also imperative for a modern team to successfully manage the portal as well.
Before the season began, we knew that many big names were transferring to new programs. With postseason play right around the corner, though, we can finally see which players have settled in as the best fits in their new homes.
Here are some notable names who made the tournament last season, changed schools and have made the tournament again:
Shahada Wells (TCU → McNeese State)
Walter Clayton Jr. (Iona → Florida)
Max Abmas (Oral Roberts → Texas)
Keshad Johnson (San Diego State → Arizona)
Steven Ashworth (Utah State → Creighton)
A few other names that fit this category include Great Osobor (Utah State), Darrion Williams (Texas Tech), Kadin Shedrick (Texas) and DJ Horne (NC State).
Additionally, there are some fascinating players who did not make the tournament last season. These are some transfers who will have a chance to carve their place in history on their new teams in this tournament:
Dalton Knecht (Northern Colorado → Tennessee)
Cam Spencer (Rutgers → UConn)
Caleb Love (North Carolina → Arizona)
Hunter Dickinson (Michigan → Kansas)
Harrison Ingram (Stanford → North Carolina)
Other players like this include Tyrese Samuel (Florida), Keshon Gilbert (Iowa State), Isaac Jones (Washington State) and Grant Nelson (Alabama).
It’s an exciting time for these players who can show the world who they’ve become at their new
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
March Madness gives college basketball players an opportunity to turn themselves into legends.
One way that many of these athletes are able to do that is with 3-point shooting and in the modern game, those around the NCAA are continuing to shoot the ball from farther and farther. Both men’s and women’s college basketball players shoot from the international 3-point line, which is 22 feet and 1.75 inches.
We were given access to the database at CBB Analytics, which tracks how many field goals players have made from at least 25 feet away from the basket. For comparison, it is also beyond the NBA distance, which is 23 feet and 9 inches at the top of the key.
After starting the season unbeaten after 17, the Aggies have lost 2-of-3 contests and dropped the first SEC series of the season at Florida.
After starting the 2024 season unbeaten after 17 games, the Texas A&M baseball team has lost two of its last three contests and dropped the first SEC series of the season at Florida this weekend in Gainesville.
The No. 8 Gators (12-7, 1-2) defeated the No. 4 Aggies (18-2, 1-2) by a final score of 4-2 on Sunday afternoon at Condron Ballpark. Florida ended Texas A&M’s undefeated streak on Friday night with an 8-6 win. The Aggies bounced back for a 10-6 victory on Saturday.
Texas A&M struck first in the series finale, scoring an unearned run in the top of the first inning. Graduate student outfielder Hayden Schott reached base after a throwing error by sophomore second baseman Cade Kurland to score sophomore OF Jace LaViolette, who has now reached safely in all 20 games. The Gators responded in the bottom of the second frame and tied the conference matchup.
Junior OF Braden Montgomery reclaimed the advantage for the Aggies in the fifth with a solo shot to left field, which was his second homer of the weekend and ninth of the campaign. Florida hit a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game again and added a 2-run jack in the eighth to ultimately win 4-2.
Texas A&M has now lost three consecutive series against the Gators. The Aggies are 2-2 versus ranked opposition, including their blowout of Texas in Austin on March 5.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Justin Lamkin started on the bump and tossed the first 4.2 frames and allowed 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks & 2 hit by pitch with 5 strikeouts on 88 pitches. Senior sidewinding righty Brock Peery threw the next two innings for a new season-best without allowing a hit with 1 K on 23 pitches. Junior RHP Josh Stewart (1-1) took the loss after recording only 1 out and giving up 2 hits & 1 run on 7 pitches.
Florida junior RHP Brandon Neely (1-0) earned his first win after tossing the seventh & eight innings in relief, allowing 2 walks & 1 HBP with 4 punchouts on 41 pitches. Freshman RHP Luke McNeillie (1) got the save after pitching a scoreless ninth giving up 1 hit with 1 strikeout on 17 pitches.
Texas A&M begins an eight-game homestand at Blue Bell Park on Wednesday at 4 p.m. against Prairie View A&M.
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Get your hands on Florida Gators NCAA Tournament tickets when they take on the winner of Wednesday’s First Four matchup between Colorado and Boise State.
The best time of the year is finally here. With the release of the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket, March Madness has officially begun.
Florida earned a No. 7 seed in the South region and with it a Round of 64 matchup against the winner of Wednesday’s First Four battle between No. 10 Colorado and No. 10 Boise State.
The Round of 64 game will be played in Indianapolis on Friday, March 22.
