Despite seeing his team drop its first regular-season series against a Southeastern Conference foe since 2012, Tim Walton doesn’t think his team is ready to panic.
“Well, we’re 30-4, so I think we’ve figured out how to win some games,” Walton said. “I don’t know if there’s a regrouping process. I think it’s just a matter of getting better.”
No. 1 Florida dropped two of its three games to No. 9 Alabama last weekend, and its performance at the plate was the key factor.
During the two losses, the Gators were limited to a .089 clip at the plate and went 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position. In their win on Saturday, they batted .333.
“We’ve got to improve quite a few different things,” Walton said. “We’ve got to get better at locating our pitches, No. 1. We’re going to have to get better with runners in scoring position, No. 2. We’ve got to get better at two-out hitting, No. 3. … Not everything bounces your way. You just have to improve on that stuff.”
Outside of junior Bailey Castro, who hit a grand slam during Florida’s 7-1 win on Saturday, no UF batter logged multiple RBIs throughout the series.
Castro, who finished 2 of 6 at the plate and drew three walks against the Crimson Tide, has made strides in her third year. Her .315 batting average exceeds her career high of .227 that she set in 2013. The Pembroke Pines native has 23 hits and 18 RBIs through 31 games.
Castro also has shown more composure at the plate, drawing 22 free passes and hit by pitches while striking out only 14 times on the season.
Her .474 on base percentage leads all UF players who have at least 20 starts and is third overall on the team only to Taylore Fuller (.531) and Briana Little (.563).
“I think she’s got the capability to do a lot more than she’s been doing, but I also told her that I wanted her to hit more home runs and strike out less,” Walton said of Castro. “With that maybe comes a few more singles, because I think we’ve cut down some things.”
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Bailey Castro bats during Florida’s 6-0 win against Jacksonville on Feb. 19, 2014, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
