Kelsey Stewart showed off her speed to open up Florida’s doubleheader in the Easton Desert Classic on Friday.
In the second inning against Seattle, Stewart hit a pitch deep into right field with Justine McLean on first base and Taylore Fuller on second.
The ball did not leave Eller Media Softball Stadium, and it didn’t need to.
Stewart darted around the diamond for an inside-the-park home run as the Gators started their time in Las Vegas with an 8-1 win against the Redhawks.
Stewart followed up that performance with an RBI-triple and a 2-run blast to right field to help lead Florida to an 11-1 mercy rule win against Hawaii.
While Stewart was the only one to score from home while the ball remained in the stadium, she wasn’t the lone home run hitter for Florida (8-0). In 20 combined hits on Friday, seven were registered for home runs — two more than the Gators hit through their first six games of the season.
“I think if this team can hit like we did today and continue to hit like this at any point during the season, we’re going to give our team a great chance to win,” coach Tim Walton said in a release. “We play great defense [and] we’re pitching really well. I think that more than anything it’s just a contagious feeling, taking good at-bats, getting good pitches to hit and putting good swings on them.”
In addition to Stewart, sophomore Aubree Munro and junior Lauren Haeger each hit two home runs on Friday.
Munro recorded the first home run of her career in the second against Seattle (1-7), sending the ball past center field to open up scoring for the Gators.
“She’s really going after good pitches,” Walton said of Munro. “Anytime you can see a trend of a hitter hitting in any count, you have to give her a lot of credit for having confidence. Her swing is much improved, her balance is much improved, and she’s seeing the ball well.”
Florida’s success at the plate wasn’t solely limited to home runs. Overall, the Gators posted a .385 batting average in comparison to the .278 clip UF recorded during its six games in Tampa to open the season. Freshman Justine McLean (.667), junior Lauren Haeger (.571) and sophomore Kirsti Merritt (.500) led all Florida players with at least 3 at-bats on Friday.
Stewart led Florida with 3 RBIs against Seattle and tied Merritt with 3 RBIs against Hawaii (4-3).
Florida plays another doubleheader on Saturday, facing off against Ohio State at noon and Cal State Northridge at 2:15 p.m.
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
