The Gators had no trouble at the plate during the Easton Desert Classic.
No. 2 Florida swept its five-game schedule in the UNLV-hosted tournament by a combined score of 59-6, capping off the weekend with a 15-2 win against No. 22 Minnesota in six innings on Sunday.
Despite only getting one hit through the first two innings, the Gators (11-0) tied the fifth-highest single-game mark after logging 16 hits against the Golden Gophers (8-1), bringing their total of double-digit hit games to five on the season.
The offensive output was the most Florida recorded since notching 19 hits against Florida A&M on March 2, 2013.
“Obviously, we put good swings on good pitches,” coach Tim Walton said in a release.
“I thought our hitters did a good job with two strikes. They did a good job all weekend long, and anytime a pitcher made a mistake, it seemed like they made someone pay.”
Six different players had multiple hits for UF in the contest, with freshman Justine McLean and junior Bailey Castro leading the way with three each. Senior Stephanie Tofft and sophomore Taylor Schwarz each recorded three RBIs, and junior Lauren Haeger and freshman Chelsea Herndon both hit home runs against Minnesota.
Herndon, who has only five at-bats so far this season, has impressed Walton in her few appearances at the plate.
“Chelsea Herndon has a little bit of a tough job right now,” he said. “She hasn’t had a start. She’s come off the bench and made the most of her at-bats.”
Freshman Delanie Gourley picked up her fourth win of the season and second victory against a ranked opponent after holding Minnesota to three hits and two earned runs. In her four innings against the Golden Gophers, the left-handed pitcher recorded four strikeouts, bringing her total to 22 for the season.
Even though Florida is undefeated, the difference in its offensive output in its first two tournaments is day and night.
The Gators hit 12 home runs over the five-game stretch in Las Vegas — more than double their output in Tampa a week earlier. Haeger led the way with four homers on the weekend. Sophomore Kelsey Stewart also hit her second career inside-the-park home run against Seattle on Friday.
Still, Florida managed a batting average of .404 on the West Coast this weekend after batting only .278 in Tampa to start the season. Seven of Florida’s batters who had at least 10 at-bats in Eller Media Stadium posted at least a .333 average.
McLean, who only had one hit prior to the trip to Las Vegas, led the team with a .538 batting average.
Tofft led the team in RBIs, driving in 11 runners this weekend. The third baseman’s total included a six-RBI performance during Florida’s 19-2 win against Ohio State on Saturday, a feat that only seven other batters in UF history have accomplished.
In the pitching circle, Gourley, Haeger and senior Hannah Rogers all continued to impress. The trio of starters combined for 23 strikeouts to just eight walks and allowed only six earned runs in 29 innings pitched.
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Stephanie Tofft bunts during Florida’s 4-2 win against Mississippi State on April 7, 2013 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
