In many respects, the Gators softball team’s opening weekend was much more eventful than they had expected.
Whether it was the upset at the hands of Georgia Tech, the 12 runs they scored to overcome the eight they gave up to USF, or the nail-biting win against Long Island that came down to the final inning, it’s safe to say the USF Wilson DeMarini Invitational was more of a rollercoaster than many would have projected.
“I anticipated some of this, certainly not most of it, but some of it,” coach Tim Walton said.
Still, No. 3 Florida was able to escape with a 3-1 record. The loss came via No. 13 Georgia Tech.
Without question the MVP of the weekend was senior Francesca Enea, who went 6 for 13 with three home runs and 10 RBI, including a grand slam that gave the Gators a 7-2 lead over Long Island in a game that was tied at two going into the seventh.
“Personally it’s really great because I’m trying to be a leader and to do well in clutch situations,” Enea said.
It seemed those clutch situations were where the rest of the Gators struggled the most in the tournament, specifically against Georgia Tech where they left a total of eight runners on base, including seven in the first three innings.
The lack of big hits was the difference between the 4-3 win against East Carolina and the 3-0 loss to the Yellow Jackets, as UF was able to turn five hits into four runs against ECU while scoring zero on five hits against GT.
“It sucks that we couldn’t get the right hit at the right time but we got to see what a lot of people are like in tough situations,” Enea said. “Losses are going to happen and we have to grow from it, we’re gonna get better every day regardless of if we come from a win or loss.”
It was also an eventful weekend for junior pitcher Stephanie Brombacher, who went 2-1 including a tough luck loss to Georgia Tech, a win in relief against Long Island, and a victory over USF despite yielding eight runs.
In both starts, Brombacher came out hot only to wither down the stretch.
On each occasion, she held the opposition scoreless in the first four innings, only giving up a combined 11 runs after the fourth.
“Both teams swung decently and made adjustments, but she also fatigued herself just a little bit and left pitches up,” Walton said.
Freshman Brittany Schutte got her career off to a good start by hitting a home run in her second at-bat, and she added another game-tying longball a day later against Long Island.
