Lauren Haeger proved she was a fighter Wednesday night. Still, she came out beaten and bruised.
Florida (29-3) dropped its third game of the year, this time at the hands of a vengeful South Florida (30-5) team. The Gators marched into Tampa in early February to take every game of the USF-Fairfield Inn & Suites Tampa North Tournament, including a 3-2 victory in extra-innings against the Bulls.
Haeger started against USF on Feb. 12, but relied on sophomore Hannah Rogers to bail her out of a close game. This time around, coach Tim Walton left Haeger in the circle the entire game to take all the blows the Bulls dealt her in a 4-1 defeat.
“It’s important to me for (Haeger) to understand, ‘You started it so finish it,’” Walton said. “If she would have backed out of that, then I might have lost a little bit for her but she was honest. She said she had enough to get out of it and prove it to me. Obviously I’m not happy with the outcome, but we showed some character and some guts.”
The Gators looked on as the Bulls loaded the bases on two walks and a single, quickly scoring two runs in the first inning.
After Haeger allowed two hits to start the third, USF put two more across the plate thanks to an error at second by Jessica Damico and a sacrifice fly.
“The first inning made me a little tight,” Haeger said. “Giving up two runs in the first inning is not what anyone wants to do.
“We just came out a little flat. (Walton) asked me if I could finish out the game and I knew I could, and I needed that.”
When Florida’s offense did get the chance to reduce the deficit, it crumbled under the pressure.
The Gators had trailed after one inning just twice before, including a comeback victory against No. 4 Tennessee on March 10. But there was no comeback Wednesday night as the UF bats remained silent nearly the entire contest.
Ironically, it was Haeger who prevented her team from being shutout for the second time this season. In the fourth, she launched a solo shot to put the Gators on the board.
The Gators could not handle the Bulls’ sophomore pitcher Sara Nevins, who ranks among the top-10 in the country in victories (17) and strikeouts (166) while leading all players in ERA (0.57).
Junior Kelsey Horton won the first game against USF this year with an eighth-inning home run off Nevins.
“She did a really good job keeping us off balance,” Horton said.
“She was lefty, so it’s a little bit different of a look. She throws hard. ... We were playing a little tight [Wednesday], which is uncharacteristic of us. We came out flat and that’s the biggest reason we lost.”
The Gators threatened to make a comeback in the bottom of the seventh with two on and two out. Representing the tying run at the plate was Haeger, who could have tied the game with her second home run of the day.
Instead, she struck out swinging.
“I got a little anxious at the end,” Haeger said.
“I was swinging for the fences and I shouldn’t have. That’s the game. The game is made for you to fail. They came to win so they did. It’s hard to swallow, but I think it just gave us that fire that we needed to get our bats going and to prove to people that will never happen again.”
Florida coach Tim Walton walks back to the dugout after a team meeting during the Gators’ 4-1 loss to USF on Wednesday night. Freshman Lauren Haeger picked up the loss, allowing two earned runs.
