The No. 4 Gators (17-1) faced a familiar foe in South Florida left-handed pitcher Sara Nevins Wednesday night, but Florida saw its fortunes change against the southpaw at the USF Softball Field in Tampa.
Nevins defeated Florida twice in 2012, including the Bulls’ (6-9) 1-0 shutout victory over the Gators in the NCAA Regionals.
But on Wednesday, Florida had the upper hand, winning 3-1.
Nevins started the game strong. She and Gators starter Hannah Rogers matched zeroes for the first three innings.
After escaping jams in the second and third innings, Rogers surrendered the game’s first run in the fourth when Kenshyra Jackson led off the inning with a home run to right field.
Nevins continued her domination of the Florida offense in the fifth inning and beginning of the sixth innings, retiring the first five batters in those two frames.
But with two outs in the top of the sixth, the Gators’ bats came to life.
Freshman Kelsey Stewart laced a double down the left-field line to keep the inning alive. Fellow freshman Kirsti Merritt, who returned to the lineup after missing 7 games with a leg injury, singled Stewart home, tying the game at 1-1.
“It’s great to have her back in the lineup,” sophomore Lauren Haeger said.
Haeger was next at the plate, and she already knew what was coming.
“The at-bat before, I noticed she was throwing a knuckle-changeup, and you could really see it,” Haeger said. “I was just expecting it. The first pitch, she gripped the knuckle-changeup. I said, ‘Here it comes,’ and there it went.”
Haeger sent Nevins’ knuckle-changeup over the center-field fence, giving Florida a 3-1 lead that it would not relinquish.
Rogers got into trouble in the bottom half of the sixth, walking a batter and allowing a single, but South Florida pinch hitter Mo Santos lined out to Stewart, who tagged second base to record the double play.
Rogers locked down the seventh inning to secure a Florida win, striking out two batters and inducing a pop up to end the game.
After the game, Rogers said that revenge was not on her mind while she was in the circle, but the same could not be said for the entire team.
“I wanted that game more than anything,” Haeger said.
“They took a lot away from us last year … I was just so pumped for that game.”
Lauren Haeger (17) runs home after hitting a game-tying homer during Florida’s 4-3 victory against Charleston Southern on Feb. 17 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
