The No. 10 University of Florida Softball team (11-0) won its 11th straight game on Saturday afternoon. The Gators defeated North Carolina (rv) 4-0 in the first game of the day, followed by a 10-1 victory over East Tennessee State in five innings.

Florida used a 10-batter first inning to take a 4-0 lead. Five consecutive base hits by juniors Kim Waleszonia (Fontana, Calif.) and Kristina Hilberth (Dunedin, Fla.), freshman Aja Paculba (Wildomar, Calif.), sophomore Francesca Enea (Woodland Hills, Calif.) and junior Ali Gardiner (Waccabuc, N.Y.) score the Gators first two runs. Paculba added another run on senior Mary Ratliff’s (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) sacrifice fly to left. Following the second out of the inning, freshman Megan Bush
(Anaheim Hills, Calif.) added another base hit to again load the bases. Sophomore Corrie Brooks (Christmas, Fla.) earned a RBI as she was hit by a Amber Johnson pitch to score Enea, giving the Gators the 4-0 advantage.

Junior Stacey Nelson (Los Alamitos, Calif.) gave up only three hits and struck out seven in the shut out, her second of the season. She is now 4-0 on the year. Amber Johnson took the loss for North Carolina, moving to 2-1.

Waleszonia, Gardiner and freshman Tiffany DeFelice (Coral Springs, Fla.) each had two hits in the game. Gardiner, DeFelice and Paculba each had  two RBI, while Waleszonia, Enea and freshman Kristine Priebe (Moorpark, Calif.) each scored two runs.

Waleszonia reached first on balls to begin the top of the first in game two. Hilberth was safe at first and Waleszonia moved to third on a Buccaneer error on an attempted sacrifice. Hilberth stole second. Paculba knocked Waleszonia home with a base hit to center. Enea reached on a fielder’s choice as Hilberth was thrown out at home. Gardiner knocked a base hit to center to score Paculba for the 2-0 lead. The runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. A double by DeFelice scored both runners and put the Gators up 4-0.

East Tennessee State narrowed Florida’s lead to three runs as they plated a run on a hit and two Gator errors in the bottom of the opening inning.

The Florida bats went to work again in the top of the second. Walezonia reached first as the Buccaneers misplayed her bunt. She advanced to second on a wild pitch. Hilberth was safe of a fielder’s choice as East Tennessee State tried to get Waleszonia advancing to third. Waleszonia slid under the tag, leaving the Gators in a first and third situation with Paculba up to bat. Hilberth stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Paculba knocked a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Waleszonia. Hilberth took third on a wild pitch. Enea drew a walk. The Gators executed a squeeze play to score Hilberth and allow Enea to move all the way to third. Enea crossed the plate on a Gardiner RBI base hit. Priebe came in to pinch run for Gardiner. Ratliff walked. DeFelice singled to left field to load the bases. A Bush sacrifice fly scored Priebe for the 8-1 Gator lead.

Florida added one more run in each the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth inning junior Brooke Johnson (Lakeland, Fla.) scored on a base hit by Waleszonia after reaching on an error and advancing on two passed balls. Priebe scored the final run of the game on a base hit by freshman Kelsey Bruder (Corona, Calif.), giving the Gators the 10-1 win in five innings

Freshman Stephanie Brombacher (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) pitched four innings in the win, giving up only two hits in her fifth win of the year. Freshman Kristen Adkins (McKinney, Texas) pitched the final three outs of the game. Ashley Boyd took the loss for East Tennessee State.

Florida wraps up Cox Communications Classic play on Sunday with a game against North Carolina at 11:15 a.m., followed by the final game of the tournament against Stetson at 1:30 p.m.