OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Fourth-seeded Florida needed to defeat second-seeded Alabama twice Sunday to advance to its second Women's College World Series championship round in three years.
The Gators accomplished that goal in a big way, routing their SEC rivals 16-2 and 9-2 to advance to the best-of-three championship series that starts Monday night against top-seeded Arizona State (55-6).
After winning the first game 16-2 in five innings, UF jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the elimination game Sunday night. Kelsey Bruder and Brittany Schutte hit back-to-back home runs to set the tone early.
UF (56-11) scored two runs in the third and one in the fourth to support the pitching of freshman Hannah Rogers, who allowed only four hits. Aja Paculba settled the outcome with a three-run home run in the seventh inning for Florida.
The Gators face an Arizona State team which knocked them into the losers' bracket with a 6-5 decision late Friday night. The first game of the championship series is set for an 8 p.m. start Monday on ESPN2.
Florida scored a Women's College World Series record 11 runs in the first inning earlier Sunday en route to the 16-2 win over Alabama that forced the if-necessary semifinal game Sunday night.
The Gators hit for the cycle of sorts in home runs: a solo shot by Michelle Moultrie, a two-run shot by Ensley Gammel, a three-run blast by Cheyenne Coyle and a grand slam by Schutte to hand Alabama (53-11) its worst defeat in program history.
UF took advantage of Alabama's pitching in the first inning to support the pitching of Stephanie Brombacher, who tossed a five-inning three hitter.
For the WCWS, seven different Gators have combined to hit 10 home runs.
