With the Gators up 2-1 in the 10th inning against then-No. 6 Michigan, coach Tim Walton claimed he could hear something in the dugout.
No, it wasn’t the fans.
It was heartbeats.
“The staff members’ hearts were beating louder than the players',” Walton said. “(The players) just were playing and understanding what to do. I think they are very confident and confident in one another.”
This stroke of confidence Walton saw in his players in such a huge game was just one of the components he was looking to see this past weekend. Another was trust.
“Trust your process. Trust your work. You put in a ton of time and then you have to go out and execute,” Walton said.
Execution — both on the mound and at bat — were major factors in Florida's dominant performance at the USF Wilson-Demarini Tournament.
With all four pitchers making an appearance, a combined 46 strikeouts were thrown while 10 hits were given up.
Senior Delanie Gourley gave up just one hit the entire weekend in the eight total innings she pitched.
“Delanie Gourley really set the tempo for the weekend with her outstanding pitching performance, and then coming in to relief in probably one of the most pressure situations you can ever imagine,” Walton said.
Impressive pitching was seen by all, with both freshman Katie Chronister and sophomore Kelly Barnhill allowing one hit in their pitching performances on Sunday.
As a freshman, Barnhill went 15-1 on the mound and threw 164 strikeouts, and her performance this weekend was just as commanding.
“Kelly Barnhill probably has as electric stuff as I’ve ever seen a pitcher have. More swing and misses this weekend then I’ve ever seen out of a pitcher on our staff,” Walton said.
The Gators were also poised at bat. In the five-game stretch, Florida's hitters had six hit-by-pitches and 32 walks. That was combined with nine home runs and 39 total hits.
And it wasn’t just the returning players making the big contributions at plate, as both freshman Jordan Roberts slammed the game-winning hit against Michigan and redshirt freshman Sophia Reynoso snagged her first home run.
In the season's opening tournament, Walton can already see how his players are stepping into — and competing at a high level in — their respective roles. He's hoping that trend continues tonight when Florida faces Jacksonville at 6.
“I do think you can clearly see the understanding of the roles and the understanding of wanting to win,” Walton said. “We have established a standard of excellence and you need to operate that way, and I think we all saw that this weekend.”
Contact Cassie Amundson at camundson@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @camundson_.
Delanie Gourley pitches during Florida's 14-10 loss to LSU on March 14, 2015, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
