Kyle Maistri
Pregame
It's been windy in Oklahoma City all week, but today seems a little bit stronger. It could have an affect on fly balls. After watching three days of "kitten ball", there seems to be three key elements to winning these games: score first, make the least amount of errors and don't leave runners in scoring position. The Aggies are anchored by first team All-American pitcher Megan Gibson, she has to have a big game for them to win. The Gators need Stacey Nelson to throw shutouts just like she did yesterday.
1st Inning
In the top half, freshman Aja Paculba singles off Gibson, but Ali Gardiner hits into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. Nelson gives up an infield single but stays out of trouble striking out two Aggies, including Gibson.
2nd Inning
The Gators get their first home run of the tournament from their best home run hitter, Francesca Enea. 1-0. She leads off the inning with a line drive that just barely clears the wall in left field, if she hangs that up in the air the wind likely takes it foul. In the bottom of the inning, and old foe resurfaces for Nelson. Her control. Two walks helped load the bases, and another brought home the game-tying run. 1-1. Nelson, coach Tim Walton and the fans are visibly upset with the strikezone, which looks really tight from where I'm sitting. You wouldn't know it, but Nelson struck out the side.
The Aggies' fan section seems to be less vocal than the Gators' fans, but the A&M section has been on its feet the whole game. The radar gun seems to have lost functionality, regularly posting speeds under 40mph. You would think Nelson is throwing underhand from the speeds she's registering… nevermind.
3rd Inning
Gibson retires the side in order, and the Gators have now sent 10 batters to the plate with only two striking out. That's got to be a moral victory for the team. For someone who's spent more than 300 innings in the circle, Nelson couldn't look more uncomfortable. She's getting squeezed at the plate, a couple hits have blooped in, the opposing fans are into it and she threw the ball away on a pick off attempt in which she likely had the runner out. No one player is more important to UF than Nelson, and she has to settle down if there is going to be a game two. With all that said, she's only given up one run so far, and that's why she's a two-time All-American and SEC Pitcher of the Year.
The Aggies are taking a ton of pitches at the plate, the scouting report seems to be make Nelson come to you. She loves to make batters chase pitches, and A&M is refusing to do that even if it means taking a strike or two. Sometimes even three, three of their six strikeouts have come looking.
4th Inning
If the team who makes the least amount of mistakes is going to win this game, the Gators have to like their chances now. A wild pitch and an inexplicable dropped pop up behind first base scored the second run for UF and leaves another runner on second base with just one out. 2-1. Ratliff makes the Aggies pay and drives a double into the right center field gap. 3-1. Corrie Brooks keeps the inning going by lining a ball off the left field wall, scoring Ratliff from second. 4-1. Brooks hit it too hard to get into second base. The rope chases Gibson who was getting hit very hard. Rhiannon Kliesing replaces Gibson in the circle. Kliesing gives up a hit and a walk to load the bases before getting Kim Waleszonia to fly out to deep center.
In a surprise move, Walton brings out freshman Stephanie Brombacher to pitch the fourth inning. Brombacher hasn't seen significant innings since the regular season, but with a lead and A&M's ace on the bench, Walton must like his chances with his freshman stud. Brombacher has scarcely seen the field in the last month or so, look for her to be incredibly focused with something to prove. If the Gators win this one, Nelson will unquestionably start the second game, this move gives her some needed rest. Brombacher works an easy fourth inning, and Walton looks like a genius.
With both the Williams sisters out of the French Open already, Brombacher has got the most intimidating grunt in women's sports right now.
5th Inning
Kliesing has no trouble with the heart of UF's order. Brombacher works an impressive inning of her own, sitting the Aggies down in order
Gibson is now 0 for 2 with two strikeouts and a walk as a hitter. As a pitcher, she got chased in the fourth inning. The Big 12 Player and Pitcher of the Year has not been impressive in this game.
6th Inning
The Gators look like the No. 1 team in the nation today. They're limiting their strikeouts, taking advantage of opportunities and all of their players are contributing. Kliesing does a good job pitching out of a potentially huge inning, getting Waleszonia and Paculba out with the bases loaded. Brombacher works another perfect inning for the Gators.
7th Inning
Enea just inked her name in the WCWS record book. Enea joined Arizona's Lindsey Collins and UCLA's Yvonne Gutierrez as the only players to hit two home runs in one game at the WCWS. Her second bomb of the day was another low liner, this time a two-run shot over the center field fence. 6-1. With the two home runs, Enea now has 17 on the season, tying her for the most in school history with Kristen Butler. Brombacher shuts the door on the first game.
Brombacher was phenomenal in relief. Pitching four innings, allowing no hits and only one walk. All the momentum is on the Gators side heading into game two which will be played tonight at 7 p.m. UF became the first team in D1 history to win 70 games.
Enea caught the final out of the game, and immediately ran back to her position in left field. She was completely unaware that there were three outs. Either that, or she wanted to keep playing and hitting home runs.
