In
front of 1,278 Orange and Blue-clad fans at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, the
No. 1/3 Gator Softball team shut down the Michigan State Spartans for the
second day in a row in another five-inning victory Saturday afternoon to clinch
the series. The Gators (8-0) defeated the Spartans, 11-1, behind the arm of
freshman Alyssa Bache (Clearwater, Fla.), who earned her first career
victory in a Gator uniform as the squad earned the Florida’s 700th all-time victory.
Bache
was perfect through four innings Saturday before allowing a base runner on after
a hit-by-pitch, followed by two hits and one run in the fifth and final
inning. The freshman righty improved to 1-0, fanning four Spartans and walking
none through the five-inning run-rule victory – UF’s sixth of the season.
The
Gators jumped out of the gates quick in Saturday’s contest, putting up four
runs in the first, two in the second and five in the fourth frame to cruise to
the series-clinching victory over the Spartans, who fell to 1-6 on the 2012
season.
Florida
faced three different MSU hurlers, as starter Rebecca Rogers (0-1) chalked up
the loss after allowing UF’s four runs and hits in the first inning. Carly
Nielson tossed 2.0, while Shelby Wise threw the bottom of the fourth against
the Orange and Blue.
For
the second-consecutive day, freshman Lauren Haeger (Peoria, Ariz.) and
junior Brittany Schutte (Fountain Valley, Calif.) teamed up for
back-to-back bombs in the bottom of the fourth to aid the Gators to victory as
Haeger once again went yard with a two-run shot, while Schutte knocked her
second solo shot of the year.
Production
from the top of UF’s lineup helped lead the Gators to victory as UF’s top four
batters combined for 10 of Florida’s 13 hits on the afternoon. Schutte was
perfect at the plate with a 3-for-3 performance, with two runs and two RBI,
while Haeger was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. Leadoff freshman Sami
Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) went 3-for-4, while senior Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville,
Fla.) was 2-for-4 at the plate with one run and a RBI.
Sophomore
shortstop Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.), junior designated player Ensley
Gammel (Bakersfield, Calif.) and freshman Jessica Damico (Gray
Summit, Mo.) each tallied one hit apiece.
A
Haeger one-out RBI single in the first got the Gators on the board, followed by
a junior Kelsey Horton (Valrico, Fla.) sac fly for UF’s second run. A two-out,
two-RBI Gammel base hit plated Schutte and Coyle, who reached on a base hit and
base on balls, respectively, as UF led 4-0 after the first frame.
In
the second inning, the Gators’ two RBIs to extend the Orange and Blue lead,
6-0, were thanks to Moultrie and Schutte base hits as Damico crossed home on
Moultrie’s hit after leading off the inning with a hit of her own, while
Schutte drove in S. Fagan, who laid down a bunt single to reach base.
The
Gators capitalized on of a combination of Michigan State errors and two bases
loaded situations in the bottom of the fourth to put up five runs, as Haeger
wasted no time getting Moultrie – who laid down a bunt single and advanced to
second on a MSU error – across home with her team-leading third homer of the
season. Next up, Schutte went yard for the 9-0 lead, giving Florida momentum to
load the bags and scratch two more runs across home for its final 11 runs.
Michigan
State got a little something going at the top of the fifth to spoil a no-hitter
for Bache, as pinch hitters Sarah Bowling and Stephanie Sanders both entered to
provide a spark for the Spartans after Bache allowed pinch hitter Melanie
Bensema on after a hit-by-pitch. It was Sanders who sent a base hit to right
field to bring home Bensema’s pinch runner Kelsey Cleary for MSU’s sole run,
but the effort was too little, too late for the Spartans as Florida still held
a 10-run lead after Bache fanned Ellie Stoffer and forced a McKinzie Freimuth
foul out to end the inning.
