Florida
freshman designated player Bailey Castro (Pembroke Pines, Fla.)
accounted for a school-record tying seven RBI Sunday, smashing two homers – including
her first career grand slam – and walking in a run to power the Orange and Blue
to a 14-3 series sweep over Ole Miss at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
For
the first time since former Gator Megan Bush did so in 2010, Castro tallied two
homers in a single inning, including UF’s third grand slam of the season, to go
with a two-run shot in the third, then drew a one-out walk with bases loaded in
the fourth to bring home her seventh RBI of the game. Castro tied Bush and
former Gator Missy Zick with her seven RBI in Sunday’s contest for the single-game
school record, Bush being the last to accomplish the feat last year in Florida’s
March 19 win at Ole Miss.
Castro’s
bat lit up the third for UF (35-4, 15-2 SEC), which put up 10 runs on six hits
in the inning, while its 14 overall marked the second-most this season for the
Gators behind15 scored against Michigan State Feb. 19.
The
Gators swept their fourth conference series this weekend, while winning their
sixth-consecutive SEC series, having won all six in league play thus far. Saturday
and Sunday’s run-rule wins marked Florida’s 14th and 15th of the 2012 campaign.
For Castro, three of her four homers on the season came against the Rebels with
a solo shot Friday, followed by Sunday’s two blasts.
The
Orange and Blue exploded for 10 hits, the Gators’ fifth league game with
double-digit hits, scattering one run in the first, two in the second, 10 in
the third and one in the fourth. Seven Gators tallied hits on the afternoon,
led by Castro (2-for-2, three runs, seven RBI, two walks), senior Michelle
Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) (2-for-2, three runs, one walk) and junior Kelsey
Horton (Valrico, Fla.) (2-for-3, two runs).
Freshman
Alyssa Bache (Clearwater, Fla.) tossed just her third complete game of
the season, allowing three runs and three hits – all in the fourth inning –
while walking just one and fanning a career-best five Rebels to earn her fifth
victory of the season. Florida faced three Ole Miss (16-21, 3-11 SEC) pitchers
on the afternoon, all in the third inning, but ultimately starter Kendall
Bruning tallied the loss, moving to 12-11 on the season after giving up UF’s
first 10 runs on six hits and walking four through the first two and two-thirds
innings.
Sophomore
Kasey Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) extended her career-best hit streak to
seven games, knocking a single through the right side as one of UF’s six hits
in the third stanza.
In
typical Moultrie fashion, the Gator led off the first for Florida with a bunt
single, swiped her 18th base of the season and crossed home on a Bruning wild
pitch to put up UF’s first run of the Sunday finale.
A
freshman Jess Damico (Gray Summit, Mo.) sac fly plated Castro to add
another run in the second frame for the Gators after Castro drew a leadoff walk
for Florida. UF added its third run of the game when freshman Sami Fagan (Dunnellon,
Fla.) was hit by a pitch with bases loaded to send Horton home. Horton
connected for her seventh double of the campaign to reach base.
A
Castro two-run blast in the third inning with no outs on the board tacked on
two more runs for Florida for a 5-0 lead, as sophomore Cheyenne Coyle (West
Hills, Calif.) also scored after reaching base on a free pass. Production from
the bottom of Florida’s lineup in the third loaded the bags again for the
Gators when freshman Katie Medina (Downey, Calif.) reached on fielder’s
choice, while Damico followed by dropping a bloop single in shallow center
field to turn over the lineup. Moultrie was hit by her eighth pitch of the year
to load the bases. Next up, S. Fagan drew a two-out walk to bring Medina home
for a 4-0 lead.
Freshman
Lauren Haeger (Peoria, Ariz.) stepped in next, roping a two-RBI base hit
through the left side to plate both Damico and Moultrie for the 8-0 lead. The hit
spurred a pitching change in the circle for the Rebels, who exchanged Bruning
for Jayjohn, before Coyle stepped in, drawing her second walk of the afternoon
to load the bases and setting up Castro’s grand slam to clear the bags and give
Florida a 12-0 lead.
The
Gators added one more run in the inning when Horton scored her second run of
the inning after reaching on a hit-by-pitch and coming home on a Rebels
defensive miscue with just two outs on the board for the 13-0 Gator advantage
heading to the fourth.
Ole
Miss countered in the top of the fourth with a three-run, three-hit inning to
narrow the Gator lead, 13-3, after RT Cantillo, Londen Ladner and Lauren Lindsey
all connected for base hits, Ladner with a RBI double and Lindsey with a RBI
single through the right side. Allison Brown knocked a sac fly to right field
to plate the Rebels’ third run of the frame.
Florida
added its final run of the game in the bottom of the fourth stanza, loading the
bags with Moultrie and S. Fagan base hits, followed by a Haeger walk. Next up,
Castro added her seventh RBI, reaching on a one-out free pass that plated
Moultrie. A strikeout and fly out ended the inning and Bache retired Ole Miss
in order in the top of the fifth to seal the UF run-rule victory.
The
Gators will next head to Orlando for a mid-week match-up with UCF Wednesday,
with first pitch slated for 6 p.m., before continuing the rest of its month-long
home stand with Auburn April 13-15. Game times are 6 p.m., 1 p.m., and 1 p.m.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively, against the Tigers.
Gator
fans can catch Wednesday’s game live on the Bright House Sports Network in the Orlando/Tampa
area or tune in live locally or online to 104.9, 105 The Game, with the call by
Gator play-by-play Adam Schick and analysis from former UF All-American Megan
Bush.
