On her first at-bat, freshman Amanda Lorenz flew out.
On her second at-bat, the ball flew out of the park, finally stopping when it slammed into the national championship billboard over right-center field.
Lorenz said she was waiting for an inside pitch, after UCF pitcher Shelby Turnier had been working the outside of the plate.
“I took one (inside pitch) my first at-bat,” she said. “So the next at-bat I was thinking ‘Sit on it,’ and I really tried to hit it over the fence.
“It was a different speed than all the outside pitches that I was getting, so I was kinda sitting on that one.”
Lorenz’s third-inning solo shot gave the Gators a 1-0 lead. That run would be enough for No. 1-seed UF, a team that hasn’t allowed an opponent to score in an NCAA Regional since 2013.
Florida would go on to score four more and defeat UCF 5-0 on a steamy Saturday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Florida will play the the winner of UCF-FAU on Sunday at noon to advance to the Super Regional Round of 16.
One of the reasons UCF couldn’t score was because of Delanie Gourley.
The UF junior only gave up one hit and walked two in a seven-inning complete-game performance. She struck out 13 Knights in the process.
“She (gets you) off balance with the changeup. She has a very nasty dropball and a riseball that we couldn’t seem to stay off of today,” UCF coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. “She’s got the whole arsenal.”
UCF’s pitcher Turnier was no slouch either. The first Knight to be named an All-American, the pitcher kept UF hitters on their toes to start the game.
Florida’s offense, playing as the visiting team, looked like it’d do some damage in the top of the third.
After Kelsey Stewart flew out, Amanda Lorenz hit her home run on a full count to put UF on the scoreboard.
Turnier hit the ensuing batter, Kayli Kvistad, got Kirsti Merritt to line out, but then Turnier walked two Gators to load the bases with two outs.
Senior catcher Aubree Munro went up to the plate with a chance to bring the runners home, but she struck out on four pitches.
“She swung at a pitch, looked like it was down and away, and she was pretty late on it,” UF coach Tim Walton said. “I saw her slam her bat into the ground and go back into the dugout.”
Although frustrated, Munro would get another chance.
In the top of the fifth, Munro took the plate with runners on first and second and one out.
The senior put her bat on a 2-2 pitch and hit a chopping groundball between the shortstop and third baseman, letting teammate Nicole DeWitt score from second and putting UF up 2-0.
But Munro wasn’t done there. In the top of the seventh, she got up to bat and drove in DeWitt again from second, giving the Gators a 3-0 edge and giving Munro her second RBI of the day.
“I was pleased with how I kind of came back,” the Munro said. “I made an adjustment, switched to a heavier bat and was able to just get the ball through when we needed it.”
Seniors Taylore Fuller and Stewart each drove in one more run on a base hit and sacrifice fly to push the lead to 5-0.
Gourley strided confidently back into the circle with a five-run cushion in the bottom of the seventh.
She got a lineout and two strikeouts to seal the win.
Walton succinctly summed up his pitcher’s performance.
“The best way to say it, Delanie Gourley threw a great game.”
Contact Matt Brannon at mbrannon@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @MattB_727
Delanie Gourley pitches during Florida's 14-10 loss to LSU on March 14, 2015, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
