Courtesy of Florida Athletics
The University of Florida softball team defeated Washington, 9-0 (5 innings) on Saturday in the opener of their NCAA Super Regional at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. The Gators produced a seven-run fourth inning in support of Hannah Rogers, whose complete-game effort marked her second shutout of this NCAA Tournament.
Rogers allowed a pair of one-out walks in the top of the first, but forced a popup and a recorded strikeout to work out of the jam. Kelsey Stewart led off the home half with a single up the middle, but she was stranded. Florida’s senior right-hander retired Washington in order to begin the second inning before Bailey Castro started the bottom of the frame with a walk. Aubree Munro roped a two-out double down the left-field line to score Castro for the game’s first run.
The Gators (49-11) took a 1-0 lead to the third, and Rogers left a Husky runner on following a two-out single to keep her team in front. Florida loaded the bases on a single by Stewart and walks to Stephanie Tofft andLauren Haeger, and a free pass to Castro put the Gators ahead by two runs. Washington (36-14) had a leadoff single in the fourth, but Rogers (25-8) retired the side with a strikeout sandwiched around two flyouts.
Florida sent 12 batters to the plate in the fourth. Munro singled up the middle to begin the offensive outburst, andKathlyn Medina followed with a double down the left-field line to set up Stewart’s sacrifice fly, putting Florida ahead 3-0. Tofft then beat out a single to short, plating Medina and growing the UF lead to four. After Haegerwalked and Briana Little was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Castro drove in Tofft on a fielder’s choice before being lifted for pinch-runner Justine McLean. Kirsti Merritt and Taylor Schwarz then drew bases-loaded walks to score Haeger and Little, making the score 7-0. Munro followed with an RBI single that brought home McLean, and Medina then plated Schwarz on a base hit through the left side to cap Florida’s seven-run frame.
Washington had a leadoff single and a one-out base hit in the fifth before Rogers finished the shutout with a strikeout and a popup, giving Florida a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
NOTABLES
- UF won its 11th straight Super Regional contest dating back to 2008; the Gators have never lost a Super Regional game at home.
- The combined score in those 11 games is 55-11.
- Florida has outscored its opponents 38-0 over 23 innings in four NCAA Tournament games.
- Gator pitchers have thrown a complete game in each NCAA contest this year.
- The Orange and Blue have blanked opponents for 25 consecutive innings overall, dating back to the Georgia game at the SEC Tournament.
- Rogers pitched her fourth career shutout in NCAA Tournament play (also: May 17 vs. Stetson; May 26, 2013, vs. UAB; May 19, 2013, vs. USF; May 28, 2011, vs. Oregon).
- Munro tied a career-high with three-hits (also: Feb. 7 vs. Illinois State).
- Medina and Munro both logged the first extra-base hits of their NCAA Tournament careers.
- Stewart is batting .600 (9×15) during this year’s tournament with five runs scored, a double, two triples and five RBI.
- The sophomore has at least two hits in every NCAA game this year.
