Florida softball faces WCWS elimination after 2-1 loss to Oklahoma State

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Image Credit: ESPN

Florida Gators senior right-handed pitcher Kelly Barnhill had the number of every member of the Oklahoma State Cowgirls on Thursday night; well … everyone except her opposition on the hill, Samantha Show. With two solo home runs off Barnhill on the evening, Show powered No. 13 Oklahoma State to a 2-1 upset of No. 5 Florida, sending the Gators into the loser’s bracket of the 2019 Women’s College World Series.

Other than the two towering slams allowed to Show, Barnhill no-hit the rest of the hometown Pokes, who certainly had the crowd advantage with the WCWS being played in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. OSU batters not named Show went 0/20 at the plate with one walk and nine strikeouts for Florida’s ace.

Unfortunately for Barnhill, those blasts were enough to do the Gators in as she received almost no run support on the evening save for a solo homer in the bottom of the second by junior catcher Jordan Roberts.

Florida went 0/8 with runners in scoring position and 1/13 with runners on base, stranding all five teammates to board the bags on the evening. Four of those base runners came from the leadoff spot in the order with Roberts singling again in the bottom of the seventh to no avail.

With the loss, the Gators fall into the loser’s bracket and now sit one defeat away from leaving the double-elimination tournament. Only 15 percent of WCWS champions have lost their first game in Oklahoma City.

Florida will face the loser of Thursday night’s Oklahoma-Alabama game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. live on ESPN.