The Gators left the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic on Sunday the same way they entered it — undefeated.
No. 1 Florida (21-0) swept its final doubleheader in Orlando, topping Maryland 16-0 in five innings and beating Radford 7-0. In its five games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, UF outscored its opponents 43-4.
“One of the great things about being able to put up a lot of runs is everybody gets a chance to play,” coach Tim Walton said in a release. “We’ve got some players on this team who work hard in practice. To get them into the game today probably meant more to me than the number of runs we had. Giving everybody an opportunity to contribute to the team, that’s the part that I really enjoyed.”
Florida’s start to the season is just the second time the team began the year with at least 20 wins, trailing only the team’s 24-win beginning to the 2011 season.
In the first game of the day, the Gators wreaked havoc on the Terrapins early, jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning.
Nine hits against Maryland — including a Bailey Castro home run — in four innings at the plate proved to be a vast improvement from the six hits Florida managed in eight frames during its 2-1 win against No. 4 Oregon to start the tournament.
In addition to the .429 clip the Gators had at the plate against the Terrapins, UF also drew 15 walks — tied for the third-highest single game mark in Florida softball history.
Florida’s dominance continued as it rolled into its match against Radford. The Gators notched their seventh double-digit hit game of the year after placing 10 hits against the Highlanders, including Castro’s second home run of the day and of the season.
In the circle, senior Hannah Rogers (8-0) and freshman Delanie Gourley (6-0) continue their hot start to the season with each earning another win.
Rogers struck out five batters in four innings while giving up only one hit against the Terrapins. Junior Alyssa Bache provided an inning of relief to finish the one-hit shutout.
Gourley pitched her fourth complete game of the season against Radford. The freshman left-hander hurled 11 strikeouts while walking one batter in the one-hit shutout against the Highlanders.
Gourley is the second Gator to reach the 50-strikeout count on the season and is the only Florida pitcher to have an average of more than one strikeout per inning.
With all three of Florida’s starting pitchers having fast openings to the season — the trio of Rogers, Gourley and junior Lauren Haeger combine for a 1.15 ERA and are holding opponents to a .153 batting average — Walton said the high stakes force each of them to improve while they’re in the circle.
“It’s not pressure; it’s an expectation,” Walton said. “If you want the ball, you’ve got to go out there and earn it.”
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
