Kyle Maistri
It's 30 minutes to game time and the difference in the ASA Softball Hall of Fame Complex and Gainesville's Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium is that of night and day. The stadium, located in Oklahoma City, holds 7,933 fans at capactity, about 6,000 more than Pressly Stadium.
Fans from all eight schools are represented as Florida prepares to take on Lousiana-Lafayette in the first game of the 2008 tournament. The Ragin' Cajun faithful appears to out number the Gator contingent. ESPN play-by-play Eric Collins, who is doing the game with Michele Smith, is wearing slides, flip flops not shoes, in the booth to compliment his pants.
1st Inning
A change of scenery did nothing to change the results for UF ace Stacey Nelson. In the top of the inning, she struck out the first two batters swinging, then got Lafayette first team All-American Holly Tankersley to ground out to second base in a one-two-three inning. The Gators threaten in the bottom half behind a walk by Aja Paculba and a single from Ali Gardiner but fail to score against freshman Ashley Brignac.
2nd Inning
Nelson gives up a leadoff walk to Melissa Verde, who is doubled up off of first base when Paculba snags a line drive. A fly ball to Francesca Enea in left ends the half inning. Tiffany DeFelice leads off with a single to center. Brignac fans Megan Bush and Kristina Hilberth, giving her four strikeouts thus far. Sophomore Corrie Brooks laces a double down the left field line, and a bad hop off the wall turns around left fielder Katie Smith allowing DeFelice to score from first. The Gators take a 1-0 lead into the third after Kim Waleszonia goes down swinging.
The second press box gaffe is made here at the ASA complex when Ami Austin's picture is shown on the scoreboard with Brooks at-bat. During the pregame lineup announcements, DeFelice's name was botched.
3rd Inning
Nelson gives up her first hit of the game to slap hitter Katie Smith with two outs. Leadoff batter Vallie Gaspard slaps one to Brooks at third and is thrown out to end the inning. The Cajun's lineup is full of slap hitters, softball's equivalent of Ichiro-style hitting. UF loads the bases for Bush, who comes to the plate with two outs. Brignac makes Bush her eighth strike out victim, an astounding total, and the Gators fail to capitalize.
UF has already left six runners on base.
4th Inning
Nelson shows why she was named a first team All-American and a top 10 finalist for the ASA Player of the Year Award. The Cajuns put two in scoring position with just one out, largely because of poor defensive play. The junior hurler calmly retires the next two batters to bail her teammates out and keep Lafayette off the board. It looked like Brignac was going to get out of the inning unscathed after allowing the leadoff batter to reach base. With two outs, Paculba took a 3-2 pitch down the left field line for a double, scoring Brooks from second and extending the lead to 2-0.
Brignac struck out Gardiner swinging, giving her nine for the game.
5th Inning
The Cajuns finally break through against Nelson. Vanessa Soto came up with two on and two out and nearly took Nelson out of the park. The double off the center field wall scored two, and tied the game at 2-2. UF fails to respond in the bottom half of the inning, and Brignac strikes out the side for the second time. That's 12 if you're keeping track at home.
6th Inning
For the first time all season, Stacey Nelson clearly doesn't look like the best pitcher on the field. Verde connects for a leadoff double to left field, but the Cajuns are unable to push across the go ahead run. Nelson gets the next three batters to keep her team in it. UF goes down in order, and Brignac sets a career high with 14 strikeouts.
Corrie Brooks is the only UF player not to strike out against Brignac. Paculba, DeFelice and Gardiner round out the only four not to strike out twice. Bush has K'd three times.
7th Inning
Nelson settles down and strikes out two on the way to a three up, three down inning. Brignac refuses to be the first pitcher to flinch and handles her business in the circle. She has now faced 12 UF batters in a row without giving up a hit, although she has issued two walks in that span since Paculba's double. Strike out counter is at 15 heading into extras.
8th Inning
I don't think Pontiac sponsors game changing performances in softball, but they might want to give Holly Tankersley a call. With one out and nobody on base, a low and outside pitch that turned into a deep line drive became the 22nd home run hit by Tankersley and the second given up by Nelson. 3-2. No. 1 team in the country on the ropes. Walton pulls Nelson in favor of freshman Stephanie Brombacher who strikes out the final batter after giving up a single.
DeFelice lead off the bottom of the eighth for the Gators and showed tremendous heart. It took 21 pitches from Brignac to get DeFelice to finally fly out to deep center field. Bush and pinch hitter Kristine Priebe both popped out to shortstop and the upset was complete.
If there has been a better performance in a bigger game by a freshman in college sports this year, I haven't seen it. Brignac abosultely shined in the biggest game of her young career, out dueling the more decorated Nelson.
