Junior
Ensley Gammel (Bakersfield, Calif.) and sophomore Cheyenne Coyle (West
Hills, Calif.) both homered twice Friday as the Florida softball team cruised
to 3-0 and 5-1 victories over BYU and No. 8 Texas, respectively, on the second
day of the Cathedral City Classic at the Big League Dreams Sports Complex in
Palm Springs.
The
Gators improved to 12-1 on the season, while sophomore Hannah Rogers (Lake
Wales, Fla.) and freshman Lauren Haeger (Peoria, Ariz.) earned wins in
the circle to improve to 7-0 and 4-1, respectively, while freshman hurler Alyssa
Bache (Clearwater, Fla.) tallied her first save of the season with an
inning of hitless, scoreless work – including two strikeouts – to close out the
first game of the afternoon against the Cougars.
After
two scoreless innings against BYU (8-5), Gammel led off the top of the third
for the Gators, smacking just her third career homer with a full count to put
Florida on the board with a 1-0 lead and no outs on the board. The Gators had
several more chances to strike in the inning with a Kasey Fagan (Dunnellon,
Fla.) double and Katie Medina (Downey, Calif.) sac bunt, followed by a Sami
Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) walk and stolen base to place both Fagans in
scoring position, but a fielder’s choice and pitching change resulted in a
ground out to halt the Gator scoring.
Haeger
sat BYU’s next three batters down in order, bringing up the top of the fourth,
allowing Florida to add two to the score with after junior Brittany Schutte (Fountain
Valley, Calif.) base hit set up a Coyle two-run shot, her team-leading fourth
of the season, to give the Gators what would be the final 3-0 victory.
BYU
used three pitchers in the match-up, starting Hannah Howell (4-2), who took the
loss, and followed with Caroline Umphlett and Tori Almond, who contributed a
combined four innings before Howell came in to finish what she started. The
Cougar pitching staff collaborated to fan six Gators, while giving up four hits
and three runs.
The
Cougars threatened in both the sixth and seventh innings, but Haeger worked her
way out of a jam in the sixth with the bags loaded after a smart play by Coyle
at the plate on a fielder’s choice to prevent a run from scoring, while Haeger
fanned Jenna Goar swinging to get out of the inning.
A
leadoff base hit in the bottom of the seventh for pinch hitter Katie Manuma spurred
a change from Haeger to Bache in the circle. Bache fanned Lacey Millet and
Jessica Dugas, while forcing a Bailie Hicken ground out to complete the Gator
victory for the first save of the season for the Orange and Blue.
In
Haeger’s 6.0 innings worked, the righty gave up just five hits and walked two
for her second shutout, this time combined with Bache, of the 2012 season.
Florida now has six shutouts on the year.
In
the second game of UF’s Friday doubleheader, the Gators chalked up their second
victory over a Top 15 program this season, downing No. 8 Texas, 5-1, thanks in
part to Coyle and Gammel homers for two runs in the fourth frame.
Florida
wasted no time getting an aggressive start, putting up the first score of the
game in the first inning on a Haeger sacrifice fly that plated classmate S.
Fagan, who led off with a base hit to left center, followed by senior Michelle
Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) walk.
After
the Gators’ initial run, the Longhorns knotted the game at one-all after a
two-hit second frame, but the Taylor Thom run would be Texas’ only as Coyle and
Gammel made it a 3-1 Gator lead in the fourth with the Coyle and Gammel long
balls, while adding two in the top of the fifth.
Haeger
sent a RBI double to left center to again score S. Fagan, who reached base on a
bunt single, for the 4-1 Florida advantage and a Schutte sacrifice fly plated
Moultrie for Florida’s fifth run of the afternoon after Moultrie singled and
moved to third on Haeger’s double.
The
Gators held the Longhorns to just one hit from the fifth inning on to limit any
potential scoring opportunities. Rogers fanned three Texas student-athletes in
the bottom of the fifth through the seventh inning to contribute to her eight
strikeouts on the day. Rogers gave up just four hits and one run, which wasn’t
earned, while walking zero and fanning eight.
Florida
put up seven hits, to Texas’ four, while Nadia Taylor led the Longhorns with a
2-for-3 performance against the Orange and Blue.
S.
Fagan was 2-for-4 for Florida, while five other Gators tallied hits from the
top of UF’s lineup all the way to the bottom.
Texas
starter Kim Bruins (2-1) was charged the loss after giving up UF’s first three
runs on three hits in the first 3.2 innings before Rachel Fox came in for the
final 3.1. The duo struck out just five Florida batters, while giving up five
earned runs.
