For the first time in 2013, No. 4 Florida (17-1) has gone a week without run-ruling an opponent.
Despite the offense cooling down from its hot start the first two weeks of the season, the Gators are 6-1 since they run-ruled Charleston Southern 9-1 on Feb. 17.
The reason is simple — only one team in that seven-game span has scored more than three runs against the Florida pitching staff.
"We’re not thinking too hard about the game," junior pitcher Hannah Rogers said. "We’re just going out there and doing what we know best."
In the last week, Florida pitchers have an ERA of 1.64. Without the Gators’ 12-inning, 4-3 loss to No. 6 Missouri on Feb. 22, the staff ERA falls to 1.40.
Rogers anchors the Gators’ rotation, and she’s pitched more innings than the rest of the staff combined.
She has pitched in four of Florida’s last five games. In Palm Springs, the junior shut out Loyola Marymount on Feb. 21 and came out of the bullpen to relieve sophomore Lauren Haeger against Missouri and Georgia Tech on Feb. 22 and 23, respectively. Rogers also started against USF on Wednesday.
Against the Bulls, Rogers tossed a complete game, allowing only one run on a fourth-inning homer to Kenshyra Jackson. She struck out five while walking two.
"I thought I came out pretty strong," Rogers said. "They got a few bats on the ball, but we played awesome defense [Wednesday night], so it didn’t really matter."
But Rogers is not the only pitcher who has been dominating in the pitching circle. Sophomore Alyssa Bache has continued putting up dominant numbers in her starts.
"I think she’s more relaxed this year," Rogers said of Bache. "She’s been working hard in the bullpen on hitting good spots, and also she’s throwing a lot harder this year."
Bache’s last start came against Syracuse on Feb. 22, and allowed only one run while striking out nine in seven innings en route to a 5-1 Gators victory.
Pitching deep into the game and punching out multitudes of opposing batters has been a common theme for Bache this year. She has completed all four games she’s started, and she is averaging 8.68 strikeouts per seven innings pitched, the best rate on the team.
"Working with all my pitches and making sure they’re all strong has really helped me," Bache said.
In 2012, Bache came out of the bullpen in six of her 13 appearances, and only pitched 40.1 innings. But this year, she’s already entrenched herself as a key member of Florida’s rotation.
"She’s definitely getting better," coach Tim Walton said. "Last year, I think she was able to go out in a lot of [Southeastern Conference] games and pitch at least three innings, so I think now we’re just hoping she can get through the second time through the lineup. I know she can get through one time in any lineup."
Contact Adam Lichtenstein at alichtenstein@alligator.org.
Junior ace Hannah Rogers winds up to pitch during Florida’s 9-1 victory against UNC Wilmington on Feb. 17 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Rogers tossed 18.2 frames for the Gators at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs, Calif.
