Florida softball used two wins over Loyola
Marymount and Oklahoma State Thursday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in
Palm Springs to improve its record this season to an undefeated 14-0. The
Gators first downed LMU, 8-2, at the Big League Dreams Sports Complex’s ‘Wrigley
Field’ before topping OSU, 2-0, in the second and final contest of the day for
the Orange and Blue.
Gator hurlers Hannah Rogers (Lake
Wales, Fla.) and Lauren Haeger (Peoria, Ariz.) each earned wins for UF
in the circle, Rogers against Loyola Marymount and Haeger against the Cowgirls
in game two. Rogers moved to 6-0 on the season with a four strikeout, complete-game
effort against the Lions (3-3), while Haeger (5-0) used a four-hit shutout and
eight strikeouts to add her fifth victory of the season in the circle against
Oklahoma State.
Senior Kelsey Horton (Valrico, Fla.)
led UF at the plate Thursday, going 2-for-5 (.400) with a run, RBI, double and
two walks, while nine other Gator bats connected for a hit. Freshman catcher Aubree
Munro (Brea, Calif.) was 1-for-2 (.500) with a double and a walk against Loyola
Marymount.
In the early game against the LMU Lions, the
Gators rolled, putting up three runs each in the second and third innings before
pushing two final runs across for extra insurance in the bottom of the sixth.
LMU jumped out of the gates aggressive
against the Gators, scoring in the top of the first on a two-out Olivia Alvarez
RBI single to right field.
The Gators found their rhythm in the second
though, and back-to-back bombs by sophomores Briana
Little (Middleburg, Fla.) and Katie Medina (Downey, Calif.) – her first
career blast as a Gator – fueled UF’s offensive efforts to put Florida up 3-1.
A bases-loaded RBI walk from Horton, followed by a two-RBI single up the middle
from sophomore Jessica Damico (Gray Summit, Mo.) in the third extended
the Florida lead to 6-1.
Megan Harman and Sterling Shuster started the
sixth hot for the Lions, Harman with a leadoff single, followed by Shuster’s
RBI double to put up LMU’s second and final run of the afternoon.
The Gators added their final two runs in the bottom
of the sixth, first on a Haeger bases-loaded RBI walk, followed by a freshman Taylor
Schwarz (Palm Beach, Fla.) fielder’s choice that plated classmate Kelsey
Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) before Lion pitcher Molly Medeiros retired the
side.
Florida faced four different LMU pitchers
Thursday as Medeiros (2.1 IP) shouldered the loss (1-1), but was backed up in
the circle by pitching staff members Dana Waldusky (3.0 IP), Erica Grady and
Stephanie Crist (0.2 IP).
Game two between Oklahoma State (2-3) and
Florida was a classic pitcher’s duel: Haeger versus Cowgirl ace Kat Espinosa.
Both pitchers had nearly identical stats, Haeger with four hits, no runs, two
walks and eight strikeouts and Espinosa with three hits, no runs, two walks and
seven strikeouts.
UF and OSU both connected for hits early –
the Gators on a Horton double in the first inning and OSU on a Tamara Brown
blooper to left center in the second, but neither team could capitalize. OSU
struck again in the third on a Gessenia DeLaCruz leadoff hit, while UF
sophomore Bailey Castro (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) led things off with a
single in the fourth for the Gators, but OSU stranded one in the third, Florida
two in the fourth to continue the shootout.
In the fifth, things got interesting – after
Espinosa retired leadoff Medina, OSU opted to trade their starter for Simone
Freeman in the circle to switch up the look the third time through the lineup.
The change didn’t faze Stewart, who connected for a one-out triple to the
right-center fence. A strikeout and fly out retired the Gators, both teams
still even with no runs.
Shannon Kaufman and Tarah Ettinger both hit
one-out singles to left center in the top of the sixth, but Haeger added her
sixth strikeout of the day and forced a groundout for the final out to prevent
the Cowgirls from getting on the board.
The Gators made their move in the home half
of the frame with bases loaded after a Castro walk, junior Stephanie Tofft (Lincoln,
Calif.) hit and a freshman Taylore Fuller (Trenton, Fla.) hit-by-pitch.
Espinosa inherited the juiced bags after OSU opted to re-enter their starting
pitcher. An Ensley Gammel (Bakersfield, Calif.) attempted squeeze with
one out on the board first forced an OSU defensive miscue that allowed the
Gators to capitalize. After eliminating Castro at home, an overthrow down to
first from the Oklahoma State catcher in attempt to get Gammel allowed Tofft to
work her way to third and then home, while Fuller took third and Gammel
scampered to second, resulting in a 1-0 Gator lead.
Next up, Schwarz poked a RBI single through
the left side to give UF its second run of the day before Espinosa forced a
Stewart fly out. Haeger added her seventh and eighth strikes in the top of the
seventh to give UF its 14th straight win of the season.
Freeman (1-3) was tagged with the loss as her
two base runners gave UF the winning advantage.
