The
sixth-ranked Florida Gators erupted for six runs in the first inning
and went on to post a 9-1, five-inning decision over Ole Miss before a
season-high crowd of 1,427 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium on
Saturday.
The
Gators (34-4, 14-2), winners of five games in a row, batted around in
their first at-bat, parlaying four walks and three hits into six runs.
The big blow was a two-out, two-run double by freshman second baseman
Katie Medina that chased Ole Miss starter and loser Erinn Jayjohn (3-8).
That
was more than enough for UF’s sophomore ace Hannah Rogers (20-2), who
allowed just two hits and one run in four solid innings of work to pick
up her 20th win of the year.
Freshman Lauren Haeger, who started the game at first base, came in to close things out in the fifth.
“I
love it,” Rogers said. “For my team to be able to come out in the first
inning and put six runs on the board is just awesome. It makes it so
much easier to just pitch and have fun.”
Rogers
did not allow a hit until the fourth inning when center fielder RT
Cantillo led off the inning with her second home run of the season for
the Rebels (16-20, 3-10) to make it 6-1.
“Obviously
they started getting to her (Rogers) a little bit at the end, but she’s
been out there two days in a row and they had faced her for eleven
straight innings,” UF head coach Tim Walton said. “I thought they did a
good job of making some adjustments.”
UF
brought the eight-run rule into effect in the bottom of the inning,
scoring three times. Freshman third baseman Sami Fagan’s one-out triple
scored sister Kasey Fagan, who had walked, and Haeger followed with an
RBI double. Cheyenne Coyle’s fielder’s choice later scored pinch-runner
Brianna Little with UF’s ninth run, and the Rebels were unable to score
in their next at-bat to extend the game.
Sami
Fagan was 2-for-3 and scored two runs to pace UF while defensively
recording a game-high four assists. She came into the game second on the
team to senior Michelle Moultrie (.423) with a .361 batting average and
is one of just four Gators to have started all 38 games this season.
Fagan, who has alternated as leadoff batter with Moultrie, likes following the Gator All-America center fielder in the lineup.
“It’s
pretty awesome,” Fagan said. “When Michelle gets on base, it takes a
lot of pressure off me. It opens up so many things for me. I can hit it
in the five-six hole or I can bunt. And when we both get on, it’s always
a huge pump-up for our team.”
That’s exactly how UF’s big first inning started. Moultrie drew a leadoff walk and Sami Fagan followed with a bunt single.
“I
thought we had some good at-bats early in the game,” Walton said. “We
were disciplined and didn’t swing at any bad pitches, and all of our
at-bats were very productive. Overall, I thought we were pretty decent.”
Walton
likes the way his young team, which has clinched its sixth SEC series
win in six tries and will go for its fourth league sweep today at 1
p.m., continues to develop.
“We’re
making some good progress,” he said. “The main thing is we’re starting
to score runs with a runner at second base, runners on second and third
or a runner at third. We’re being more productive and we have a more
educated plan as opposed to just going up there and swinging and hoping
to get lucky.”
