A 1-0 midweek loss in Orlando, Florida, against the UCF Knights was the result of a low pitch count and even lower hitting count for Florida’s softball team.
The below-average counts allowed UCF to gain momentum with early at bats and clean defensive efforts that kept Florida from scoring opportunities.
The No. 4 Gators (32-5, 7-2 SEC) will have a chance to redeem their substandard performance from the midweek matchup when they take on the No. 15 Crimson Tide (24-9, 5-4 SEC) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Saturday.
The Crimson Tide is coming off a series win against Kentucky, shutting out the Wildcats in the first game and coming back from a second contest loss to take the series 9-3 in Sunday’s matchup.
Alabama’s upperclassmen pitching staff includes junior Courtney Gettins and senior Alexis Osorio. Combined, the two aces have a 18-5 record.
The Crimson Tide’s third ace is in freshman Madison Preston who holds a 6-4 record coming into this weekend’s series against the Gators.
The pitching staff has a combined ERA of 2.14 compared to Florida’s ERA of 1.13.
The Gators have been more selective with their pitching staff, focusing in one two of their four aces for a majority of the contests.
Senior utility player Aleshia Ocasio and junior pitcher Kelly Barnhill have been the most consistent on the mound. Together, the duo has a record of 29-4 for the season.
Ocasio has only logged 85 innings so far this season, but when she isn’t in the circle, her talents are normally used otherwise in the outfield, mostly in center field.
Barnhill on the other hand has recorded 104 innings this season and an ERA of 0.74, the best on the team. The Marietta, Georgia, native ranks fourth in the NCAA and first in the SEC with 177 strikeouts.
Over the weekend, freshman Natalie Lugo got her first collegiate start and shutout victory over the Hampton Pirates. Lugo pitched all seven innings and only allowed three hits on 103 pitches, recording 11 strikeouts in the process.
Sophomore Katie Chronister hasn’t had much time in the circle since her last win against Oakland on Feb. 21. Since then, she’s only pitched 5.1 innings.
It’s been almost a year since the last time Florida met the Crimson Tide, dropping the series after winning the first game in a 3-0 shutout at home. This will be the first time that the Gators have been to Tuscaloosa since 2015.
The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Rhoads Stadium as the Gators take on their fourth SEC series of the season.
Follow Mari Faiello on Twitter @faiello_mari and contact her at mfaiello@alligator.org.
Senior Aleshia Ocasio fell to 14-3 on the season after picking up the loss in a 1-0 matchup against UCF on Wednesday.
