On softball’s biggest stage, Florida leaned on the nation’s best player — Lauren Haeger.
In her first at-bat, Haeger saw 12 pitches from Michigan pitcher Megan Betsa, fighting off the last seven before waiting on a knee-high off-speed pitch and depositing it into the left field stands to give the Gators a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Behind Haeger’s bat, the No. 1 Gators downed the No. 3 Wolverines 3-2 in the first game of the NCAA Women’s College World Series Championship Series Monday night at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
Florida is now just one win away from winning its second-consecutive championship and second in school history.
Haeger’s first-inning homer was her third of the WCWS and 19th of the season. The senior finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBI.
In the third inning, Haeger struck again for a run.
After Nicole DeWitt blooped a single to shallow centerfield, Haeger cranked an outside fastball to the gap in right-center field that scored DeWitt from first.
DeWitt finished the game 1-for-3, scoring what would be the game-winning run.
Through five innings, UF starting pitcher Aleshia Ocasio had Michigan hitters on their heels. She allowed three hits and no runs during that span.
"She really comes in and just throws different pitches at different speeds, same pitches [at] different speeds," coach Tim Walton said.
"I thought that was the key. She just kept them a little bit off-balance."
But in the sixth inning, the Wolverines gained their balance against Ocasio.
Ocasio allowed a single to Kelsey Susalla and hit Lauren Sweet with a pitch to lead off the frame.
Two batters later, Ocasio walked a batter to load the bases before the No. 9 hitter Abby Ramirez singled up the middle to score two runs and cut Florida’s lead to 3-2.
In the seventh inning, Florida (59-6) called upon the services of Delanie Gourley to close out the game.
Gourley, who hadn’t pitched since Florida’s 2-1 loss to Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, looked rusty but got the job done.
The sophomore walked Sierra Romero to begin the inning. Then Gourley surrendered a single to Kelly Christner to set up Michigan (59-7) with runners on first and third with no outs.
Gourley stayed poised though, inducing a fielder’s choice ground ball to shortstop Kathlyn Medina that Romero didn’t score from third on.
Then, after Gourley struck out Sweet, she got Lindsay Montemarano to roll over and ground out to Medina to shut the door.
Ocasio, who last pitched on May 15 in a 6-0 win over Florida A&M and hadn’t seen action in the circle in Florida’s last seven games, stepped up big for the Gators.
The St. Cloud native earned the win, tossing six innings while allowing two earned runs. Though she had never pitched in the WCWS, she looked composed.
"Well I was a little nervous, but this is what I came here for," Ocasio said. "I was ready."
Ocasio is now 3-0 against Michigan this year.
She’s allowed just nine hits and two earned runs in 17 total innings against the Wolverines, striking out 15.
Florida now has the edge over Michigan, as they just need to win one of the next two matchups. Both teams will square off again for game two tonight at 8.
A television broadcast contributed to this report.
Follow Patrick Pinak on Twitter @Pinakk12.
Florida's Lauren Haeger celebrates on the way home after hitting a home run in the first inning during the NCAA Women's College World Series Championship against Michigan in Oklahoma City, Monday.
