GAINESVILLE, FLA. – The University of Pennsylvania softball team (7-6) dropped a thrilling 3-1 decision to #7 Florida (22-4) on Tuesday afternoon. The Quakers brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate in the top of the seventh but fell just short.
 
Quaker Notemeal

• Jennifer Brann (167) tallied two strikeouts in the loss to Florida and needs 10 more to tie Vicki Moore (177) for eighth place on the all-time strikeout list.
• Brann has now also hit safely in seven straight games this season. The mark is the longest hit streak by a Quaker this year and the longest streak of her career.
• With a walk against Florida, Lucy Yang has reached base safely in 12-of-13 games this season, including the last six.
• With 14 walks on the year, Yang now has recorded more than double the walks of anyone else in the Ivy League this season and has the same number of walks as Brown does as a team.
• The Quakers now have 48 total walks as a team, leading the next closest team in the Ivy League by 15.

 
How It Happened
Facing a top-10 opponent in the country is one of the more difficult tasks for any team, but the Quakers rose to the challenge against the 21-win Gators. In a classic low scoring game, the two teams were separated by merely two pitches.

The Gators were first on the board, as they hit one of three solo home runs on the day to jump ahead 1-0. Their leadoff hitter, Hannah Adams, hit one of her two solo home runs in the third inning to extend the lead to 2-0. However, the Quakers and Gators played exceptionally even softball for the remainder of the afternoon.

The Quakers were able to load the bases in the fourth inning, with just one out. Clare Sebastianelli drove in the only run of the day for the Red and Blue, on a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1. Despite forcing the Gators starting pitcher out of the game after that inning, the Quakers scoring ended there, as the Gators were able to add an insurance run on another Adams home run in the fifth inning. A late rally in the seventh inning, started by a Tabitha Dyer walk and a Corrie Phillips single ended with no runs, as the Quakers kept the pressure on until the very end.

Starter Jennifer Brann kept the explosive Gators offense in check for much of the day and kept her team in it. Brann pitched a complete six innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits, while striking out two in the defeat.
 
What's Next
The Quakers will head home to begin a homestand and kick off Ivy League play. The Red and Blue host Yale from March 14-15 followed by a doubleheader against Lehigh on March 18.