The Gators probably wish they could have used some of their 14 runs from Sunday in Wednesday’s game.
Or, at the very least, borrow a couple hits.
Instead, No. 3 Florida (35-5) was left with a zero in the runs column for the second time this year and a mere two hits against unranked UCF (30-10) on Wednesday night.
“We just have to work on staying and looking for our pitches and I think that’s the key,” pitching coach Jennifer Rocha said.
“You have got to come out strong, especially in an in-state rivalry like UCF. They’re always going to bring their ‘A’ game against us.”
The Gators’ offense reached a season low in Orlando against the Knights.
Not only was UF shut out for the first time since playing Tennessee on March 9, but it was the first time in more than a year Florida was held without a run and held to two or fewer hits.
In that game against Nebraska on March 12, 2011, Michelle Moultrie and Megan Bush each had one hit. Moultrie collected the only two hits for her team this go-around.
“We didn’t play awful,” Moultrie said. “But we just didn’t get the job done. You have to give their pitcher credit but we need to make better adjustments at the plate. There are always things you can take to get better.”
When Bailey Castro led the charge against Ole Miss this past weekend with three home runs and eight RBI, it seemed as if the Gators’ lineup was truly starting to click and come together in time for the postseason.
Instead, Florida took a nose dive, striking out 11 times against UCF’s Mackenzie Audus (16-5) while losing to its second game this year to an in-state rival, with the first coming to USF on March 28.
Unfortunately for sophomore Hannah Rogers, who dropped her third game of the year, this has happened before.
In Rogers’ first loss, a 1-0 defeat against Tennessee, she gave up an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh to end the game because her team failed to provide any sort of run support.
In Wednesday’s game, she allowed a two-run double before even notching the first out of the first inning.
Rogers was then lights out for the remainder of the game, allowing only one more hit while striking out seven.
However, the first inning was all the Knights needed to earn their first win over the Gators in nearly four years.
“I just try to keep faith in my team, hoping they are going to get some runs across the plate for me,” Rogers said.
“But [Wednesday] wasn’t our night. I’m upset. But we have to come back ready to play.”
