Coming into the season the junior battery of Stephanie Brombacher and Tiffany DeFelice was expected to carry the bulk of the load for the Gators.
LSU came into Gainesville riding a nation-best 24-game winning steak, and left on a three-game losing streak.
In a matchup that was billed as the pitching of LSU versus the hitting of Florida, the Gator’s pitchers proved that they too can throw with the best there is.
The Florida softball team prides itself on doing the little things well.
On a team filled with experienced players, it was a pair of freshmen who stepped up when the Gators needed it most.
Although the Gators are one of the most prolific offensive teams in the nation, everything seems to change when they go up against top pitching.
For Florida and Alabama, March Madness applies to more than just basketball.
If Saturday’s doubleheader proved anything, it was that no lead is safe in the Southeastern Conference.
After having the worst performance of her pitching career in their first meeting, Gators ace Stephanie Brombacher had without question her best Thursday night, throwing a perfect game in a victory over USF.
Gators ace Stephanie Brombacher may get a second opportunity against a lineup that gave her all she could handle in the teams’ first meeting when USF (14-14) travels to Gainesville to take on No. 6 Florida (20-3, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) today at 4 p.m.
Although they are taking a break from the rigors of Southeastern Conference play, the No. 6 Gators (20-3, 4-1 SEC) will still have something to prove as they travel to Waco, Texas to take on Baylor (18-7) in a weekend series, with the first game starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
With a lineup as strong as Florida’s, it was only a matter of time before things started to click.
While the Southeastern Conference has been a dominant force in football and basketball for years, its softball teams have only started to earn national recognition recently.
After going just 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position in Game 2, Florida got the big hits right when it needed them Sunday.
After starting the day with a run-rule victory, the No. 4 Gators (17-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) saw just how big of a difference a new pitcher can make, falling 6-4 in the nightcap to Brittany Barnhill and the Ole Miss Rebels (16-9, 3-1 SEC).
On the final day of the DeMarini Invitational the Gator hitters continued to tear up lesser competition, pounding out a combined 30 hits in run-rule wins over UC Davis (7-11) and Loyola Marymount (3-8).
Less than 24 hours after being shut out by No. 10 Stanford, the Florida bats returned to form.
Although No. 3 Florida (13-2) effortlessly pounded out 12 runs in its first game against Pacific (5-7), it was unable to get a runner past second base in its 2-0 defeat at the hands of No. 10 Stanford (13-2) in the nightcap.
Although the Gators have to travel almost 2,400 miles to get there, this weekend’s DeMarini Tournament in Fullerton, Calif., will be a homecoming experience for seven Gators.
On senior Francesca Enea’s 22nd birthday, her teammates gave her the gift of a 10-1 win over Northwestern State on Sunday.
Solutions by The State News
