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Thursday, March 28, 2024
<p>Kirsti Merritt bats against Florida’s 6-0 win against Jacksonville on Feb. 19 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.</p>

Kirsti Merritt bats against Florida’s 6-0 win against Jacksonville on Feb. 19 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

Prior to the Lipton Invitational, junior Briana Little did not have a start in 2014. Likewise, freshman Chelsea Herndon logged only one start through Florida’s first 12 contests.

But that has not stopped the two from being valuable hard-hitters at the plate in their few opportunities early this season.

Heading into the tournament at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, the duo combined for five RBIs and a .400 clip at the plate.

“They gave us something off the bench,” coach Tim Walton said. “We’ve had one person off the bench in almost every year that I’ve been here, but to have two or three weapons to come off the bench to swing the bat the way they’re swinging, I was very pleased.”

Little took full advantage of her first start of the year.

The Middleburg native opened up the scoring in Florida’s 8-0 five-inning win against Indiana on Saturday with a two-run homer — the 13th of her career. Through the four games the Gators played in the Lipton Invitational, Little logged two hits in four at-bats and drove in three runs.

Herndon’s success as a pinch-hitter was apparent from the start of the season. Through Florida’s first 12 games, Herndon was 3 for 6 at the plate and hit a two-run home run to center field against then-No.22 Minnesota.

While the freshman outfielder was not as successful at the plate during Florida’s lone home tournament of the season — logging only one hit and striking out twice in seven at-bats — Walton was impressed with Herndon’s defensive performance.

“I’m not really worried about either of them defensively,” the ninth-year coach said. “I think Chelsea’s still learning the position more than Briana. She’s super athletic. She’s going go all out and try and do what she can to catch the ball.”

Kirsti Merritt also succeeded off the bench for Florida. For the first time this season, Walton did not pencil her into the starting lineup, but Merritt made the most of her one at-bat.

In the fifth inning, the sophomore hit her first home run of the season to drive in three runs and power the Gators to their fifth run-rule game of the season.

“We’ve been very productive, hitting the ball hard, getting on base, finding ways to score,” Walton said.

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Fuller improving in sophomore year: Coming out of high school, utility player Taylore Fuller was one of Walton’s top recruits.

During her senior year at Chiefland High in Trenton, the No. 6 catcher and No. 38 overall prospect on ESPNHS’s 100 list posted a .778 batting average, a 1.944 slugging percentage and 14 home runs.

Even though those numbers didn’t transition to her first year in college — Fuller had a .212 clip in her 113 at-bats in 2013 and had only four hits leave the park — Walton still sees Fuller’s potential.

“She’s going to be good. We just have to be a little bit more patient and probably than she thought,” Walton said.

“You know, when you hit that many home runs and have that kind of batting average in high school, you have to manage the expectations a little bit, but she’s doing well.”

This season, Fuller’s composure at the plate has improved. The sophomore has three home runs through her first 14 games, leads Florida with an on-base percentage of .636 and is tied for sixth in the Southeastern Conference after being walked 12 times.

“Her progress is going good,” Walton said.

“She’s getting a better understanding of what her swing does and how her swing breaks down and what we have to do to improve her swing. Love the kid. The kid brings it. She’s a hard worker."

Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126

Kirsti Merritt bats against Florida’s 6-0 win against Jacksonville on Feb. 19 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

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