Skylar Wallace explains her all-around effort in comeback win over Kentucky in SEC Softball Tournament

Fresh off a regular-season-ending series loss to Kentucky, Florida bounced back and avenged itself in the first round of the SEC Tournament in softball on Thursday.

Redshirt junior Skylar Wallace provided the lift, smacking out a key home run and scoring three times in a 6-2 win.

“I just find a way to get on base, that’s what I’m really trying to do as a leadoff batter,” Wallace said on the SEC Network following the game. “Obviously can do the short ball down the line and a home run, but really just trying to get on base and trust my hitters behind me to get me in.”

Florida took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, then watched as Kentucky plated a couple runs to go ahead 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning.

After Florida’s Kaila Pollard hit a home run to tie it in the bottom of the fourth inning, Wallace stepped to the plate with the intent to give the Gators the lead again in the fifth. She blasted a solo shot, and Florida followed it up with two more runs in the frame, then another in the sixth inning, to win 6-2.

“Yeah, we started this year saying we needed six runs because we knew our pitching was going to be a battle,” Skylar Wallace explained. “And we knew this year was going to be a grind. But now we’ve moved that to eight runs, and if we get eight runs on the board we’re going to be solid. Today it worked out for us, but we can always score more.”

Tim Walton praises Skylar Wallace

Florida coach Tim Walton joined his star on the set of SEC Now in the outfield following the game, and he was effusive in his praise for Skylar Wallace.

He said it’s taken a while to get her OK with striking out, and that having a healthy balance of trying to let it rip and getting on base is OK.

“When you don’t like to strike out it’s really hard to hit for power,” Walton said. “So we just kind of took the handcuffs off her a little bit and gave her a little bit more than that, and I think that’s been the biggest key for her, just understanding that you’re here and you could be here if you just understand how to deal with some of the failure that goes along with it.

“She’s the first player that I’ve ever talked to in my coaching career about hitting .500 as opposed to .400. Because she’s going to get that infield hit that we’re not going to get with speed like mine. So ultimately she’s got so many weapons that she can go. But she’s backed that up with the work ethic. Everybody wants, but not everybody can do it day in and day out. She’s really done a great job of that.”

As for Skyler Wallace, she said her improvement this season has been all about her approach.

She’s going into things with a clearer head now.

“Really just sharpening my mentality,” Wallace said. “Really trying to be selective on pitches and when it’s missed across the plate trying to drive it hard.”