A week before Senior Weekend, Kim Waleszonia felt like a freshman again.
The senior took her first at-bat since Feb. 28 as a pinch hitter Saturday against Arkansas. Waleszonia went down earlier this season with a tibial plateau fracture in her left leg, preventing her from playing for the majority of UF's regular season.
"I was like, 'Whew, I'm batting!,'" Waleszonia said. "But I felt right back in the swing of things."
She flied out to left field in her first trip to the plate in the second inning , but the energetic senior showed flashes of her All-American game in the fourth inning with a two-RBI single to left field and a perfect bunt Sunday.
Although the loss of Waleszonia for most of the season did nothing to slow the No. 1 Gators' dominant play this season, her return provoked an emotional response from the fans, who gave her a standing ovation for her first plate appearance in Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, and her teammates.
"I think all of us were crying in the dugout because we love her so much," left fielder Francesca Enea said. "It was a shame for her to get injured, especially during her senior year. So having her up to bat just really made us all so happy. I can't even describe how happy and proud we were."
She didn't immediately jump into the starting lineup - she pinch hit for freshman designated hitter Alicia Sisco on Saturday and started as the designated hitter Sunday - and it could take a little longer to see Waleszonia in her usual spot in center field.
"She's not at 100 percent defensively," UF coach Tim Walton said. "Standing out there and moving around, it's tough, and she said she's not quite able to make all her cuts and things that she wants to. It's not even about (being) pain free, it's (about being) mental free."
Waleszonia said she felt 100 percent on the field Saturday and even better Sunday, and she will be back in the outfield whenever Walton says he's ready to start playing her there.
With one of his seniors returning for the team's postseason run, Walton will have to work to balance the lineup while still using the talent that's developed in Waleszoni's absence, particularly Sisco and freshman Michelle Moultrie.
"It affects me more than it affects the lineup. I have some decisions that need to be made," Walton said. "Kim's earned a lot, and I think the two freshmen there will definitely open the path for whatever I decide."
Although it's easy to assume waiting around in the dugout for two months was insufferable for Waleszonia, who started every game of her career at UF before the injury, she said her team's success has helped keep the edge off the boredom and frustration.
"It's not tough. We have a great team, and I love watching them play," Waleszonia said. "I love watching plays and seeing everybody work hard and the success that comes along with it. It makes you proud to watch your team."
Enea, however, said the senior's return to the field will benefit her just as much as it will help the team.
"I think it's making her more sane now because she has like ADD and gets crazy," Enea said. "Now that she can go out and get tired, it helps us all out too. It's awesome to have her out there."
