Cheyenne Coyle thought she hit another routine pop fly. It turned
into the biggest home run of her young career.
“I
saw the center fielder just kind of sitting there for a while, and
I was like ‘Oh boy, just hustle it out to second,’” the freshman
shortstop said.
Moments later, Coyle was the proud owner of Florida’s second
walk-off blast of the season, giving the Gators (45-8, 19-7
Southeastern Conference) a 4-3 victory over Tennessee (44-8, 20-6
SEC) on Friday at Katie
Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Until Coyle’s towering shot to center, the day was a bit of a role
reversal for the typically power-hitting Gators. Only Kasey Fagan
had registered an extra-base hit, and two of UF’s three runs were
scored on wild pitches.
Kelsey Bruder said the Gators are focusing on smaller parts of the
game, trying to “mix it up.”
“I
think as a whole we’ve become very predictable,” Bruder said. “We
don’t have as many weapons as some of these small-ball, slapping
teams.”
In
the past two games, the top four slots in Florida’s lineup are a
combined 2-for-21, and Megan Bush has been held hitless for three
consecutive games for the first time this year.
“They’re just not getting hits and maybe starting to press a little
bit, but I think they’ll be fine,” Gators head coach Tim Walton
said.
Walton returned Aja Paculba to the No. 2 spot in the order after he
said her brief time in the five-hole wasn’t working.
Freshman Hannah Rogers continued her success in the relief role
with four strikeouts in 2.1 innings. She extended her SEC-leading
record to 28-5.
Stephanie Brombacher pitched four innings of one-hit ball before
suffering through a rough fifth inning. The senior walked
Volunteers third baseman Jessica Spigner before surrendering three
hits culminating in an RBI triple by Raven Chavanne, the conference
leader in batting average.
“Probably bad coaching on our part,” Walton said, “She walked a kid
on four pitches, should have been her last pitch.”
Rogers entered the game and stranded Chavanne at third.
The
pitcher from Lake Wales heavily favored her drop ball through the
outing, using it to force inning-ending strikeouts in both the
sixth and seventh.
“It’s fun because I get to come in in pressure situations and help
the team out — get them excited,” Rogers said.
Freshman Ellen Renfroe went the distance for Tennessee. She held
the Gators to five hits but picked up her third loss of the
season.
“She was mixing her speeds really, really well,” Coyle said.
Florida’s come-from-behind victory mirrored its wins against fellow
SEC contender Alabama in UF’s last homestand.
“If
you don’t believe by now, then you need to find yourself a spot in
somebody else’s dugout,” Walton said.
The
Volunteers and the Gators meet again Saturday at noon. Stephanie
Brombacher and Tiffany DeFelice will be honored on day one of
Florida’s two-day senior tribute.
