The Gators started slow at the plate this weekend, but their pitching was good from start to finish.
Florida (38-5, 18-2 Southeastern Conference) rode strong performances in the circle by Hannah Rogers and Lauren Haeger to a weekend series sweep of Auburn (26-18, 5-14 SEC), culminating in a 5-2 win on Sunday.
“They’ve done a good job and they’ve really (been) doing a good job with keeping us in the ball game and allowing us the opportunity to win ball games,” coach Tim Walton said.
Rogers (22-3) tossed her 18th and 19th complete games of the season Friday and Sunday, giving up just four earned runs in 14 innings of work against the Tigers.
The sophomore hurler yielded two-spots in the fourth inning Friday and in the seventh Sunday, but allowed just five hits otherwise.
“[Walton] tells us to just stay tough as long as we can keep the other team to a minimum of runs, then our team will come out confident and scoring,” Rogers said. “If we’re keeping down the runs, it keeps them hitting and keeps them confident.”
While Rogers logged the most work, it was Haeger who nearly was the story of the weekend.
The freshman pitcher, who tossed her seventh complete game of the season in the series clincher, made it through 6.1 innings without yielding a hit in Saturday’s 3-1 win.
However, she lost her no-hit bid and the shutout when Auburn’s Caitlin Jordan sent a Haeger offering over the center-field wall with one out in the top of the seventh.
“I was trying not to think about it because I didn’t want to jinx myself, but I felt good,” Haeger said. “It felt good going into the seventh inning not having any hits, but hey, sometimes it just doesn’t go your way.”
Haeger (11-2) was able to return the favor to the Tigers on Sunday, breaking up a no-hitter by Auburn’s Angel Bunner with a single in the fourth.
Haeger broke the game open the next inning with a two-run shot to make the score 4-0.
The Gators scored enough to salvage the stout pitching efforts from Rogers and Haeger, but it took some time for their bats to wake up. Florida scored only two runs before the fifth inning during the weekend.
UF had its best results tagging Auburn’s starters as they became fatigued, chasing each Tigers starter before they could complete their final inning of work.
Florida pushed a combined six runs across the plate in frames with Auburn pitching changes.
“They really pitched well and for us to be able to — third time through the lineup — to figure it out better,” Walton said.
“That’s the name of the game — being able to take advantage of opportunities, being able to take advantage of mistakes, being able to take advantage of pitchers throwing pitches over the plate.”
The Gators scored 11 runs against the Tigers during the weekend series, plating five in Sunday’s contest.
The run total is the lowest series mark for UF since a six-run effort in three games against Tennessee on March 9-11.
Despite some early struggles at the plate, Florida still came away with its seventh consecutive series win — and fifth sweep — of a conference foe this season.
With Kentucky, No. 22 LSU and No. 2 Alabama remaining on the conference schedule, UF has still has a tough road ahead to its fourth SEC regular-season title.
“It’s going to be tough,” Walton said.
“We’re going to be facing some great pitching. Probably not going to be getting as many hits as we’ve been accustomed to getting.”
Alligator writer Katie Agostin contributed to this report.
Contact Joe Morgan at joemorgan@alligator.org.
Sophomore Hannah Rogers throws during a 4-1 victory against Auburn last season. Rogers is working on lowering her ERA early in 2013.
Florida right fielder Kasey Fagan throws out Auburn first baseman Caitlin Jordan during the top of the sixth inning of the Gators’ 5-1 win on Sunday.
