Florida used three home runs in its final game of the 2011 USF Under Armour Showcase Sunday to down host-team USF, 10-2, in six innings. In what was the second of three meetings between the two Sunshine State opponents, the No. 1/2 Gators put up three runs in the second, five in the third and one each in the fourth and sixth, while facing four different USF pitchers in the victory at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in front of a crowd of 372.
Florida tallied its 25th win of the 2011 season with the victory over the Bulls and the Orange and Blue wasted no time putting up 10 runs to enforce the run-rule following six, including eight runs in the first three innings. Freshman Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.), sophomore Brittany Schutte (Fountain Valley, Calif.) and senior Megan Bush (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) all connected for homers in the Gators’ efforts.
Freshman pitcher Hannah Rogers (Lake Wales, Fla.) led the Florida charge in the circle, tallying her 11th victory of the season (11-1), going 4.0 innings, including the first three and finishing out the winning effort in the sixth, while sophomore Ensley Gammel (Bakersfield, Calif.) saw 2.0 innings between Rogers’ action, tossing the fourth and fifth innings for the Orange and Blue. Rogers allowed just four hits, no runs, no walks and struck out three, while Gammel gave up two USF hits and the Bulls’ only two runs of the game. Gammel struck out one and walked three.
Following a Samantha Holle (Tampa, Fla.) RBI double to right center for the hometown crowd that brought home Bush, who reached on a fielding error by the USF right fielder, Coyle dropped the first bomb of the afternoon over the left-field fence for a two-run success, immediately bringing UF ahead, 3-0, at the top of the second inning.
After Rogers rallied to hold the Bulls scoreless on two hits in the bottom of the second, back-to-back homers in the top of the third fueled the Gators, who cycled through the entire lineup. The Gators, now facing Capri Catalano in the circle for the Bulls, started the rally with a three-run bomb by sophomore Brittany Schutte (Fountain Valley, Calif.) that drove in senior Aja Paculba (Wildomar, Calif.), who singled, and Bruder, who walked. Schutte’s homer chased Catalano and brought up Bowles for South Florida, but the switch did nothing to halt UF’s momentum as Bush, Bowles’ first batter, followed up with a solo shot to center field. With two outs, Bowles walked both Coyle and freshman Kasey Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) to turn the lineup over for the No. 1 hitter, junior Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.), who brought in Coyle on a single to the second baseman. A Paculba strikeout ended the five-run, three-hit inning for UF, who led, 8-0.
The fourth inning brought in another run for Florida, its ninth, on a sacrifice fly by Bush that scored Bruder. Bruder reached base on balls in to lead off the inning, while Schutte followed with a dart to left field that counted as a double. A Horton strikeout and Holle fly out ended the inning and brought up Gammel to toss the next two innings for the Gators.
The Bulls put up their sole two runs in the bottom of the fourth, but stellar defensive efforts on behalf of the Orange and Blue kept USF from tacking on more. With two Gammel walks on base, a Nowell single to left field got the Bulls running. Nowell took an extra base to get to second, while McCarver, who was walked, advanced to third and Medina, who also reached base on balls, was forced to attempt to get home on the play, but a standout play from Gator left fielder, senior Kelsey Bruder (Corona, Calif.) eliminated Medina at home as Bruder chucked the ball to Schutte for the putout.
USF brought McCarver across the plate and Nowell to third on a RBI bunt by the pinch hitter, Courtney Goff, narrowing the margin, 8-1, and leaving runners on first and third for the Bulls. On the next batter, Kafalas, both Goff and Nowell tallied stolen bases, as Nowell stole home and Goff advanced to second, bringing the margin, 9-2. When Kafalas did get a piece of the ball, Bush threw directly to Schutte at home to eliminate Goff for the third out of the inning.
A scoreless fifth inning brought up the sixth, when the Gators would add their final run to enforce the run rule, kicked off by a Bruder single through the right side, a Schutte walk, a Bush single and then a RBI single for sophomore Kelsey Horton (Valrico, Fla.) who drove in Bruder with a base hit through the right side to take Florida ahead, 10-2. A pop out, strikeout and fly out ended the inning and Rogers re-entered to finish off the Bulls in the bottom of the sixth for the victory.
Starting pitcher, Lindsey Richardson (5-5), tallied the loss for the Bulls as the pitcher of record when UF first went ahead, giving up the first two hits and three runs after facing just 10 Florida batters in 2.0 innings.
