The Florida
Softball team (31-14) suffered a doubleheader sweep to instate rival Florida State
(29-18) in Tallahassee
on Wednesday evening. The Gators lost the first game 4-0 and recorded their
first loss in extra-innings this season in a 6-5, eight-inning heartbreaker.
Florida struck first in the top of the
second in the second game of the doubleheader. Senior Lindsay Norfleet (Gainesville,
Fla.) drew a lead off walk. She
advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Brooke Johnson (Lakeland,
Fla.). A double by freshman Kim Waleszonia (Fontana, Calif.)
scored Norfleet for the 1-0 Gator lead.
The
Seminoles tied the game with a solo home run by Veronica Wootson in the bottom
of the second frame.
Florida State took the lead in the bottom of the
fourth. With two outs, Wootson drew a lead off walk. Brittany Osmon drove a
base hit through the right side, advancing Wootson all the way to third and a
poor throw to third allowed Wootson to cross the plate to take a one run lead.
A base hit up the middle scored Osmon to put the Seminoles up 3-1.
The Gators
took a 5-3 lead in the top of the fifth. Senior Stacie Pestrak (Gainesville,
Fla.) reached base on an error to
start the inning. Waleszonia followed with an infield base hit. Game one
starter Tiffany McDonald came in to relieve game two starter Kayla Collins in
the pitching circle for Florida
State. Junior Lauren Roussell (Cerritos,
Calif.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases
for senior Kristen Butler (Orlando, Fla.).
Butler drove a
base clearing double to left center to put her team up by one run. Butler advanced to third on a passed ball and came around
to score on a senior Lindsey Cameron
(Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.)
to give Florida
the 5-3 lead.
The
Seminoles tied the game at 5-5 on three straight base hits and a sacrifice fly
in the bottom of the sixth.
The game
remained knotted through regulation, sending it to extra innings, the third
extra-inning game in as many weeks for the Gators. Florida could not get a runner on base in
the top of the eighth frame. Florida
State’s lead off batter,
Whitney Buckmon reached on a base hit through the right side. She came around
to score on a double down the left line by Yuruby Alicart to end the game with
a 6-5 Gator loss.
Freshman Stacey Nelson (Los Alamitos, Calif.)
took the loss for the Gators to move her record to 7-5 on the year. Tiffany
McDonald earned her second win of the night to improve her record to 19-10.
Florida was out hit 10-2 in the first game
of the doubleheader, losing the game 4-0. Norfleet had both of the Gator hits,
a double in the fifth and a base hit in the seventh.
Florida State scored first in the bottom of the
first to take a 1-0 lead. Leadoff batter Natasha Jacob beat out an infield hit
and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Jacob then stole third and came
home on a Gator error on the play.
The
Seminoles added another run in the top of the third. Jacob led off the inning
with an infield base hit. Buckmon followed with a second infield base hit.
Jacob scored on a base hit by Osmon to put Florida State
up 2-0.
A Wootson
solo home run with one out in the fifth put Florida State
up 3-0. Osmon followed with a double and came in to score on a base hit by
Melissa Wood to give the Seminoles a four-run lift.
Junior Stacey Stevens (Gainesville,
Fla.) took the loss for Florida to move her record to 13-3 on the
year. McDonald struck out seven Gators in the win to move her record to 18-10.
The Gators
travel to Knoxville, Tenn. this week for the three-game
Southeastern Conference series with the No. 5/5 Lady Vols. Saturday’s
doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. Both games will be televised live by Cox Cable in
Knoxville and live radio will air on WRUF AM 850
in Gainesville
and www.wruf.com. Sunday’s game will be
televised live on College Sports Television and live radio will air on www.GatorZone.com. First pitch on Sunday
is also scheduled for 1 p.m.
