Deep into the contest, Delanie Gourley prepared another winding pitch and tossed it toward freshman shortstop Braxton Burnside.
The Missouri freshman ended a six-inning drought, popping a ball to center field to give the Tigers their first hit of the game in the top of the seventh and ending Gourley’s chances at a no hitter.
But Gourley responded without any hesitation, retiring the next three batters and leading No. 1 Florida (20-1, 1-0) to its first conference win of the season.
With the victory, Gourley earned her fourth double-digit strikeout performance of the year. The senior struck out 10 of the 24 batters she faced,
In Florida’s first conference game since its Super Regional loss to Georgia in May of 2016, it hoped to develop an offensive rhythm to bolster its nation-leading defense.
The Gators went into the three-game series with an average ERA of 0.70, leading the nation. They ranked No. 2 in the nation in shutouts with 13.
Florida broke the scoring drought in bottom of the third inning when Mizzou’s Madi Norman loaded the bases oo two walks and a single. One more walk to freshman third baseman Jaimie Hoover got the Gators on the board for the first time.
Two batters later, junior catcher Janell Wheaton used a two-RBI single to bring home Hoover and junior first baseman Kayli Kvistad and give Florida a 3-0 edge.
One more RBI double from freshman catcher Jordan Roberts widened the gap with Missouri (11-8, 0-1).
Florida saw its most success from the power hitting players in the lineup, as sophomore Amanda Lorenz went 3-for-4 on the afternoon with two singles and a double.
Wheaton, who has the lowest batting average of any of the main starters in Florida’s lineup, continued her strong play that began last weekend at the Judi Garman classic. The junior – batting .224 on the year – went 2-for-3, including the two RBIs to expand on Florida’s initial lead.
RBIs in the bottom of the fourth inning from Lorenz and junior second baseman Nicole DeWitt concluded the scoring for the game, giving Florida a 6-0 lead.
The Gators are now riding a 13-game win streak. The win over the Tigers also marked the third straight conference-opening win for Florida, which last lost the SEC opener in 2014 against Ole Miss.
The pitching staff earned its eighth one-hitter on the season and continues to complement the offense and alleviate the pressure on UF’s bats.
Florida still has two more games left in the series with the Tigers, continuing Saturday at 6 p.m.
Contact Skyler Lebron at slebron@alligator.org or follow him on Twitter @SkylerLebron
Delanie Gourley pitches during Florida's 14-10 loss to LSU on March 14, 2015, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
