The No. 24 Florida softball team (35-19, 13-10 SEC) split a doubleheader with the Kentucky Wildcats (21-27, 4-19 SEC) at the Florida Softball Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Florida won the first game 6-2, but fell in the second, 3-2. Senior Kristen Butler (Orlando, Fla.) tied the Florida single season record for home runs with her 15th of the season in the third inning of game one. 

Freshman Kim Waleszonia (Fontana, Calif.) led off the bottom of the first with a base hit to right field. She advanced to second on a sacrifice by senior Lindsey Cameron (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.). Butler drew a walk and junior Lauren Roussell (Cerritos, Calif.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Junior Melissa Zick (Tampa, Fla.) was hit by a pitch from Kentucky pitcher Jessica Trueblood to bring in Waleszonia and give the Gators a 1-0 lead.

Freshman Brooke Johnson (Lakeland, Fla.) led off the bottom of the second with a home run just inside the left foul pole to put the Gators up 2-0. The homer was Johnson’s third of the season.

Butler took a 2-2 count over the centerfield fence to lead off the bottom of the third. The home run tied the school record for single season home runs set by Emily Marino in 2000.

Kentucky brought the game within one in the top of the fifth. Lori Melchi and Megan Miller recorded back-to-back two-out base hits. They both scored on a triple by Meghan Cooper to make the score 3-2 in favor of the Gators.

The Gators added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Junior Lacy Howard (League City, Texas) drew a walk to lead off the inning. Zick followed with base hit to left. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice by senior Lindsay Norfleet (Madison, Fla.). Johnson knocked a two-RBI base hit through the left side to score Howard and Zick for a 5-2 Florida lead. Johnson advanced on a sacrifice by senior Stacie Pestrak (Gainesville, Fla.) to move into scoring position. Waleszonia knocked her in with a base hit through the left side to give Florida the 6-2 advantage.

Junior Stacey Stevens (Gainesville, Fla.) pitched the complete game to improve her record to 16-5 on the year. Trueblood pitched the first three innings and received the loss for Kentucky to move her record to 8-14 on the year. Amy Kendall pitched the final three innings for the Wildcats.

Johnson led the Gators with her 2-for-3 performance. She drove in three runs, scored two and hit a home run. Waleszonia also had multiple hits for the Gators with a 2-for-4 performance with a RBI and a run scored.

Kentucky scored three runs in the top of the first of game two. Melchi led off the game with a base hit. She was thrown out at second on a fielder’s choice play that found Miller safe at first. A Gator error allowed Copper on to first. Cooper and Miller both moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Miller came home on a Katie Campbell sacrifice fly to right. Back-to-back doubles by Ashley Fertic and Brooke Marnitz drove home two more runs for the 3-0 Wildcat lead.

After a two-hour rain delay, the Gators staged a comeback in the bottom of the fourth. Howard led off the inning with a base hit to right field. Zick walked. Both runners moved into scoring position on a passed ball a Pestrak double drove in both runners to bring the Gators within one at 3-2. It would not be enough, however as the Gators were not able to push another run across in the final three innings.

Florida freshman pitcher Stacey Nelson (Los Alamitos, Calif.) took the game two loss for the Gators to move her record to 10-10 on the year. Samantha Allen earned the win for Kentucky to improve her record to 2-3.

Howard went 2-for-3 for the Gators in game two. Pestrak finished 1-for-3 with both of the Gators RBI.

The rubber match between the two teams will take place tomorrow at noon. It is Gators Love to Read Day and all fans are encouraged to bring a book to donate to the Alachua County Public Library.