The UF softball team didn't let the rain keep it from catching fire at the plate this weekend.
The No. 2 Gators (8-1) won all five of their games in the Lipton Invitational at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, putting a combined 56 runs on the board while holding their opponents to just 1.
"We came out this weekend with more confidence," first baseman Ali Gardiner said. "Coming off the Baylor weekend, obviously it was a little disappointing to lose, but we took the positives out of it and worked extremely hard on it. Our pitchers are going to do well all year, and I think our offense really stepped up."
After allowing just three hits in her previous two starts combined, Stephanie Brombacher (4-0) threw the first no-hitter of her college career and the eighth in school history Friday night in the Gators' five inning 8-0 win against Coastal Carolina (1-3).
"She's been flirting with it all season long," UF coach Tim Walton said. "She's thrown a two-hitter and a one-hitter and now a no-hitter, so I'm pleased about where she's at. I just hope she maintains her poise and composure and keeps getting better."
UF's bats were especially potent in its wins against Florida Atlantic (6-4) and South Alabama (3-6) on the second day of the tournament, scoring 13 runs on each team while keeping both off the scoreboard. Left fielder Francesca Enea, who finished the weekend with 16 RBIs on 10 hits, hit two grand slams on Saturday.
"I've seen kids have good days, but for her, she's making the most out of every one of her plate opportunities and with almost an RBI per at-bat - that's pretty amazing," Walton said.
Before the Gators' first game of the tournament, Walton made a change to the top of his lineup by slotting second baseman Aja Paculba as the leadoff hitter and moving center fielder Kim Waleszonia, who has been batting first throughout her entire career at UF, to the second spot.
The shakeup proved to be the spark Walton hoped it would be, as the two combined for 18 runs, 13 hits, seven RBIs and five stolen bases over the weekend.
Senior pitcher Stacey Nelson (4-1) won all three of her starts, allowing just 1 run and walking only one batter in her 14 innings of work. Nelson struck out eight batters in the Gators' first game of the weekend, an 11-0 victory over Texas Tech (2-6).
The only run scored against the Gators - and the only earned run allowed by a UF pitcher all season - came in the fourth inning of their 11-1 win against Georgia Tech (6-2) on Sunday.
Junior third baseman Corrie Brooks added the Gators' third grand slam of the weekend in the rout of the Yellow Jackets.
