Courtesy of Florida Sports – Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The temperature at Pressly Stadium was climbing fast Saturday afternoon as Lauren Haeger stepped to the plate for the first time.
The tension was turned up a notch, too. USF already led the Gators in the Gainesville Regional matchup and Bulls ace Sara Nevins loomed in the circle.
The last time Nevins threw a pitch at the cozy ballpark off Hull Road it led to the Bulls celebrating a 1-0 win over the Gators and the 2012 Gainesville Regional title.
But Nevins didn’t look as sharp Saturday, allowing a leadoff single to Kelsey Stewart, hitting Kirsti Merritt with a pitch and striking out Stephanie Tofft prior to a power-versus-power clash with Haeger, Florida’s cleanup hitter.
Haeger worked the count full and stayed alive by fouling off multiple pitches.
And then with one swing Haeger put a charge into a Nevins’ pitch and the crowd, connecting on a three-run homer that sparked Florida to an 11-1 victory. Florida advanced to Sunday’s title game with the victory.
