Courtesy of Florida Athletics – Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Senior Lauren Haeger had just spun another masterpiece. This one, a 1-0 shutout and three-hit defeat Sunday of Kentucky to sweep the weekend’s NCAA Super Regional, came with a trip to the Women’s College World Series in the balance.
So get this: In five postseason games, the Florida Gators have yet to surrender a run. And of those five shutouts, Haeger has four of them, including an eight-inning outing in last week’s regional clincher.
Haeger (right) was not spot-on for the entire game Sunday, nor was top-ranked UF’s defense, but she flummoxed the Wildcats with her control and pitch selection, striking out five, walking just one and was aided by a handful of web gems behind her at the most opportune moments.
“If you don’t give up a run, you usually win,” Haeger said.
A few minutes later, her coach corrected his superstar.
“Lauren didn’t say it right,” Tim Walton said. “If you don’t give up a run, you can’t ever lose.”
That too.
And so, the Gators (55-6) are off again to the Oklahoma City. Make that seven trips to the WCWS in the last eight years, as UF defended a home Super at oranged-out and rocking Pressly Stadium for the seventh time in as many chances.
Afterward, Walton proclaimed the pressure officially off his team. After winning the first national championship in program history last year, the expectations for 2015 — with all but two starters back and an outstanding freshman class — were clear cut.
World Series or bust.
Well, guess what.
“No one is going to be talking about us on the Sunday night softball show, about how the No. 1 seed sent down; a major upset in college softball,” Walton said. “We’ve handled the pressure. Now, let’s go out and have fun and figure out who we are are and how we’re going to handle it.”
To date, the Gators have showed an ability to win a number of ways, including this postseason with their offseason not hitting on all its cylinders. Don’t bet against a few players figuring some things out between now and when the first pitch is thrown Thursday against Southeastern Conference rival Tennessee.
Unlike Saturday, when Florida touched up Kentucky ace Kelsey Nunley for a four-run first inning on the way to a 7-0 win, the Gators had to scratch and claw for this one.
Take a bow, Justine McLean.
In the bottom of the third, after a one-out single by Sylver Samuel, Wildcats slugger Griffin Joiner rocked a Haeger pitch deep to right field. McLean backed to the wall and plucked the ball just beneath the fence, then saw that Samuel was already nearly to third base.
McLean’s heave from the warning track doubled up Samuel easily and ended the inning.
When McLean came to bat in the UF fourth, she did so with runners on the corners and two outs. She stepped to the plate 1-for-9 against Nunley this season.
“She was owning me,” McLean said. “I just decided to slow my feet down, keep things simple and put the ball in play.”
The “slow feet” thing never applies to McLean when she’s running. A slapper who hits from the left side, she’s a blazer on the base paths, and rapped a Nunley pitch to short that she easily legged out while Taylore Fuller sprinted home with what turned out to be the game’s only run.
Remember: If you don’t give up a run, you can’t ever lose.
Just one inning after McLean’s game-changing play, the Gators did it again in the UK fourth when Maisie Steed drew a one-out walk. Erin Rethlake’s attempt to bunt Steed to second popped short in front of the plate.
Florida catcher Aubree Munro, chucked her mask, dove to catch the ball and from her knees fired to first to pick off Steed for the second non-routine double play in as many innings.
“Those are top-10 plays there,” Haeger said. “Big time.”
Senior shortstop Kathlyn Medina had a few more, throwing a UK runner out from deep in the hole between short and third, then chasing down and extending her glove to snare a pair of pop-ups in foul territory in the bottom of the seventh, further frustrating the visitors.
“You can’t fake plays like that. They’re not accidents,” Medina said. “We make those all the time in practice and that’s why we’re going back to OKC.”
No argument from the Cats.
“They’re just a really good team that knows how to get to the College World Series,” UK coach Rachel Lawson said. “When you play a team like Florida, it’s going to come down to the little things.”
Plus, the players who know how to shine — and lead — in the really big moments.
On Tuesday, the NCAA will announce its national player of the year. Haeger is one of three finalists. Walton said Sunday’s display should have solidified the award.
“How could she not be?” he asked.
All those wins in the circle. An ERA of 0.00 in the NCAA Tournament. All those home runs. All those RBI. And now another trip to Oklahoma City.
Hey, that’s what happens when you don’t give up a run. That’s what happens when Lauren Haeger is your centerpiece.
After the final out, Munro charged the mound, presumably to start the ritual and celebratory dog pile. The two bumped chests, but neither went down. Instead, the Gators just hugged in mass.
“You can’t force it,” Munro said.
No, but they can play for another chance to pile on. In OKC, no less. And that’s what they’ve been playing for all season, anyway.
