It wasn’t the big bats of Lauren Haeger, Bailey Castro or Kelsey Horton that powered the Gators to a win. Instead, it was a surprise blast from the bat of Ensley Gammel that sparked a six-run surge in the sixth.
Florida (42-5) was at a stalemate in its final game with Florida International (24-23) for the first five innings. Both Hannah Rogers and FIU starter Shelby Graves were pitching gems while both offenses struggled mightily.
Until the bottom of the sixth, each squad could just manage one run each. A fifth-inning double by Cheyenne Coyle drove in the first run of the game but the Panthers retaliated in the very next frame with a run of their own.
Florida finally one-upped its opponent with a six-run sixth that put the final nail in the coffin for FIU.
“Ensley got a good pitch to hit and got that inning going,” coach Tim Walton said. “With our team, the more looks you have on somebody they’re going to start to make adjustments and get a good feel and get a good comfort at the plate.”
Gammel sent a 3-2 pitch over the wall for just her fifth home run of the year which gave her team a 2-1 advantage. For Gammel, it was a nice reversal of roles to flex her muscles while the more traditional power hitters took a break.
“We always joke around and I’m always like, ‘Can you guys rub some of your power off on me?’” Gammel said. “But it feels good being able to contribute to the team.”
Freshman Jess Damico did her best Gammel impression by hammering a rare home run. In fact, it was the first home run of Damico’s collegiate career.
“She’s the Missouri state record holder in home runs in a season,” Walton said. “She has a lot of power and it’s just going to come down to giving her enough at-bats and getting her the confidence.”
Rogers’ effort in the circle solidified the victory for the Gators. She pitched a no-hitter through 5.1 innings, but surrendered a one-out single to Panthers third baseman Jessy Alonso in the top of the sixth. The sophomore was just five outs away from her first career no-no.
Rogers rebounded from a tough start on Friday when she gave up four runs in one inning.
“It was a little bit different than Friday when we faced them,” Rogers said. “I felt the same, but I just hit better spots and just mixed it up more. We just tried to stay focused.”
The sweep over the Panthers ended the Gators non-conference schedule for the regular season, as now they move onto the final eight Southeastern Conference games of the year. No. 22 LSU is next up for Florida.
“I keep saying it,” Walton said. “We are going to have to get better in order to come out on top of those eight games. But I still like the way we keep finding a way to win, that’s for sure.”
