In a
back-and-forth battle in the NCAA Softball Gainesville Super Regional opener,
the No. 2 Gators (56-7) used a sophomore Katie Medina (Downey, Calif.)
walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the seventh for the win, as Florida took a
4-3 decision over UAB (40-18) in front of 1,691 at Katie Seashole Pressly
Stadium to inch one game closer to its fifth Women’s College World Series
appearance.
The
Gators entered the bottom of the seventh down, 3-2, and rallied as they’ve done
all season, first taking advantage of two straight walks and a hit by pitch to
load the bases before sophomore Briana Little (Middleburg, Fla.) was
pegged with a relief pitcher Leigh Streetman offering for the equalizer, 3-3.
Following a Gator strikeout for one down, Medina dropped a 0-1 Streetman
offering in shallow left field over the UAB shortstop’s head to plate the
game-winning run in walk-off fashion, UF’s sixth walk off of 2013.
For
Medina, the clutch hit was her first game-winner for the Gators this season,
joining 11 other teammates who have clinched a victory for the Orange and Blue
in 2013 by knocking in the game-winning RBI.
The
Gators and Blazers will meet again at noon Sunday on ESPN, with Jeanne Zelasko
and Cheri Kempf on the call, as Florida will look to clinch its fifth Super
Regional for the right to head to Oklahoma City for what would be the fifth
time in the last six years. The ‘if necessary’game is scheduled for 3 p.m.
should UAB even the series at noon.
