Seven Gators collaborated for 10 hits Sunday, as the No. 4
Florida softball team completed its eighth-straight series sweep over South Carolina
with a 7-3 finale at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. A total of 1,218 Gator fans came out to
witness UF’s 26th straight victory over the Gamecocks
(19-12, 2-6 SEC).
In this weekend’s 19-inning series, Florida allowed just
four runs, while scoring 17, and were led by freshman Lauren Haeger (Peoria, Ariz.), who batted
.556 with five hits, two doubles, a homer and six RBI through the three-game
set.
The Orange and Blue improved to 26-2 overall, 7-1 in league
play with Sunday’s win as Haeger and Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) both had
multiple-hit performances, Haeger with three hits
(3-for-4) and S. Fagan with two (2-for-3). Haeger
scored a run and drove three in, while S. Fagan scored three and drove in one
herself.
All nine Gator starters reached base during Sunday’s contest,
led by Haeger’s RBI single in the first inning for UF’s first score, a dinger to left field in the third
inning, and a RBI double in the sixth inning. In the third stanza, sophomore Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.)
also went yard right after Haeger, with a freshman Bailey Castro (Pembroke Pines, Fla.)
walk sandwiched in between. Coyle drove herself and Castro in as Florida
quickly went up, 4-0, after three.
For the 11th tilt this season, the UF lineup collaborated
for a double-digit hit performance. Along with Haeger,
S. Fagan, Castro and Coyle, three other Gator sluggers connected for a hit,
including junior Kelsey Horton
(Valrico, Fla.), sophomore Kasey Fagan
(Dunnellon, Fla.) and first year Jess
Damico (Gray Summit, Mo.).
Florida played stellar defensively, turning a double play in
the sixth, while coming up with several clutch defensive plays from Coyle,
Damico and Medina in the infield. The Gators took advantage of South Carolina
early on with four straight balls that resulted in an S. Fagan walk, and a USC throwing
error that put her and Michelle Moultrie
(Jacksonville, Fla.) both in scoring position to start the game. On the next
play, Haeger singled through the left side to plate
S. Fagan for UF’s initial score.
The third inning production from the Florida offense was
clutch as the Orange and Blue scored three runs off four hits. Haeger started the frame with a two-out solo shot over the
left-field fence, quickly followed by a Castro base hit. Coyle tacked on
another two runs for the Gators after belting her seventh round-tripper of the
year over the left-field wall for two more Gator runs.
The Gamecocks got on the board in the top of the fourth
after a Kaela Jackson leadoff single up the middle,
while pinch runner Hannah Milks advanced to second on a sac bunt and came home
on a Kaitlin Westfall RBI double to narrow the margin, 4-1.
Damico led off the fourth for the Gators with a base hit to
turn over the lineup before S. Fagan batted her in with a triple, then proceeded
with a score of her own after a Moultrie sac fly for the 6-1 Florida lead. In
the bottom of the sixth, S. Fagan doubled to right center before scoring one
more time for the Gators on a Haeger double to left
field for UF’s final seven runs.
South Carolina put up a fight in the seventh after Lauren
Lackey connected for a one-out double, enabling an Evan Childs two-run bomb to
left center that brought herself and Lackey home for the 7-3 final. Florida
sophomore righty Hannah Rogers (Lake
Wales, Calif.) fanned Chelsea Hawkins, allowed a Jackson walk, but then popped
Dana Hathorn up to get out of the inning for the
Gator win.
Freshman hurler Alyssa
Bache (Clearwater, Fla.) earned the nod in the circle for the Orange and
Blue, working the first 3.0, giving up just two hits and two walks, while
retiring three Gamecocks by strikeout before Rogers (14-1) came on in the
fourth to finish out the final four frames for the win. Rogers battled it out,
but gave up seven USC hits and the Gamecocks’ three runs. The Gators’ ace gave
up two walks and fanned one.
First year Katelynn Howser (8-3) shouldered the loss for South Carolina in the circle after giving up seven of Florida’s 10 hits, five runs and three walks, while fanning just two in two different appearances Sunday. Howser earned the start and worked the first 2.2 before being relieved by Kierstyn White for one and a third, and then coming on again in the fifth for the final 2.0.
