Report on the Florida Gators softball:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The No. 1-ranked University of Florida softball team swept a Saturday doubleheader against No. 5 Louisiana-Lafayette with a pair of wins at KSP Stadium. Florida scored 19 runs in the doubleheader, taking Game 1 by a 5-1 score before clinching the weekend series with a 14-1 run-rule victory.
With the pair of victories, Florida is now 15-3 on the season against teams ranked in the top 25. In addition, Florida remained unbeaten in 28 non-conference games this season and has now won 119 of 121 non-league games dating back to the start of the 2013 season.
Florida’s win in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader marked the Gators first-ever triumph over the Ragin’ Cajuns in program history. UF was winless in its previous four meetings prior to this weekend.
Junior Delanie Gourley (12-2) gave up two hits and struck out a career-high tying 13 batters in a complete-game effort to earn the win in the opener. Sophomore Aleshia Ocasio (14-1) went the distance in game two and allowed just one run on five hits, while striking out two ULL hitters.
Offensively, senior Kelsey Stewart paced the Gators in game one as she went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and one run scored. In game two, sophomore Kayli Kvistadmashed a pair of home runs and had a career-high six RBI in that contest.
Game 1 Recap
Florida wasted no time on Saturday grabbing the lead and momentum.
After Delanie Gourley struck out six-straight Ragin’ Cajun hitters to begin the game,Janell Wheaton got UF’s offense going in the bottom of the second with a solo home run to left.
The long ball was her sixth of the season and her first since March 5 against South Alabama.
The Gators blew the game open in the bottom of the third when Florida scored four runs on three hits and two ULL errors.
After Justine McLean led off the inning with an infield single, Kelsey Stewart drove her in with an RBI double to left-center field. The hit parade continued with an RBI single up the middle by Kayli Kvistad, who eventually came around to score on aNicole DeWitt sacrifice fly.
Florida scored its final run of the inning on a Louisiana-Lafayette miscue.
ULL scored its lone run of the game in the fifth when Hayley Hayden recorded an RBI fielder’s choice with bases loaded and only one out.
Gourley got out of the jam without any more damage by striking out Shellie Landry to end the inning.
The junior left-hander bounced back and retired the final six ULL hitters she faced to end the game and secure her 12th win of the season.
Game 2 Recap
Florida exploded for seven runs on six hits in the bottom of the first inning on Louisiana-Lafayette.
During the inning, Kayli Kvistad recorded a three-run home run and Aubree Munronotched a two-run triple down the right field line. Amanda Lorenz (infield single) and Taylore Fuller (sacrifice bunt) recorded the other two RBI in the inning.
Kelsey Stewart got things going right off the bat with a single to left field. After Merritt walked and they both moved into scoring position on a passed ball, Amanda Lorenz recorded an infield single to score Stewart and Kvistad followed with a three-run homer to left-center field.
Florida extended its advantage to a run-rule lead of 8-0 in the second inning when Kvistad mashed her second homer of the game with a solo shot to left-center field.
In the third, UF scored four runs highlighted by a Taylore Fuller solo home run and a Kvistad two-run single to right with the bases load.
Although UF led ULL 12-0 after three innings, Louisiana-Lafayette wouldn’t go away quietly.
ULL’s Aleah Craighton hit a solo home run to left to begin the fourth and the Ragin’ Cajuns loaded the bases with their next three hitters to apply the pressure to Ocasio and Florida’s defense.
Unfazed, Florida’s sophomore right-hander recorded a strikeout and a groundout to get out of the jam and keep the Florida lead over Louisiana-Lafayette in double digits, 12-1.
Stewart got that run back and more with a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the fourth to extend Florida’s lead over ULL to 14-1.
Ocasio worked a perfect fifth inning to earn her 14th win in the circle this season.
Team Notes
- With today’s doubleheader sweep, Florida is now 40-3 and still holds the highest win percentage (.930) in the country.
- Florida is now unbeaten in 28 non-conference games this season and has won 119 of 121 non-league games dating to the start of 2013.
- Florida’s senior class is now 213-31, which currently ranks seventh among four-year class records in program history.
- Sitting sixth on this list is UF’s 2012 graduating class that went 216-41 throughout its four seasons.
- Taylore Fuller, Kirsti Merritt, Aubree Munro, Taylor Schwarz and Kelsey Stewart are trying to catch UF’s 2011 class which boasted a 238-33 mark during their four years.
- Tim Walton is now just eight wins away from his 600th win at Florida.
- Walton earned his 700th career win on March 12 at Auburn.
- Saturday’s games were broadcast on SEC Network. Florida is now 20-2 in contests that are streamed online.
- Florida is now 15-3 against Top 25-ranked teams.
- ULL is the fourth non-conference team ranked in the top 25 that the Gators have played this season.
- Florida defeated Michigan, UCLA and Washington earlier this season.
- ULL is the fourth non-conference team ranked in the top 25 that the Gators have played this season.
Stat Watch
- UF has now outscored its opponents this season, 264-43.
- In 2015, UF had a plus-236 run differential (316-80) through 43 games.
- In 2014, UF had a plus-177 run differential (276-99) through 43 games.
- Florida’s 43 runs allowed through 43 games is the second fewest in school history through this point in any season.
- UF’s 2009 squad allowed 40 tallies through 43 contests and Florida’s last two NCAA Championship teams had allowed 80 runs each, respectively.
- The Gators have made just 19 errors this season and currently sport one of the best fielding percentages (.983) and earned run averages in the nation (0.86). For comparison, Florida had committed 27 errors through 43 contests last season and had a fielding percentage of .975. UF went on to record a .981 fielding percentage and commit just 33 errors, which were both school records.
- UF did not allow a stolen base on Wednesday, remaining the only team in the SEC who has yet to allow more than three stolen bases in 2016.
- In addition, three stolen bases is the fewest Florida has allowed in school history through 43 games.
Pitching Notes
- Aleshia Ocasio is now just one strikeout away from reaching 100 for the second-straight season.
- Delanie Gourley recorded a career-high tying 13 strikeouts in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader.
- Strikeout totals = Delanie Gourley – 135, Kelly Barnhill – 128, Aleshia Ocasio – 99
- They are looking to become the second trio in school history to all record 100+ strikeouts in a season.
- UF achieved this feat last season when Lauren Haeger (214), Aleshia Ocasio (155) and Delanie Gourley (105) all reached the century mark.
- Barnhill became the fifth Gator freshman in six years to record 100+ strikeouts a few weeks ago at LSU.
- Florida’s trio of pitchers are looking to become the second group to all throw at least 100 innings in a single season.
- UF’s 2002 group of Amanda Moore (174.2 IP), Amanda Knowles (113.2) and Mandy Schuerman (105.0 IP) last achieved this feat.
- Innings pitched totals = Aleshia Ocasio – 99.0, Delanie Gourley – 96.1, Kelly Barnhill – 81.1
- Ocasio (136.0, 2015) and Gourley (107.2, 2014) have each achieved this feat once before in their careers.
- Florida’s pitching trio has now combined to allow just 43 runs, while they have totaled 362 strikeouts. Both of those numbers lead the SEC.
- Ocasio (0.49) and Gourley (0.80) entered this week with the No. 1 and No. 3 ERAs in the country and Barnhill is fourth in strikeouts per game (11.0).
- Ocasio’s astounding 0.49 ERA (99.0 IP) would go down as the best ERA for a single season in Florida history if the season ended today.
- Stacey Nelson currently holds the top two single season ERAs in program history, as she recorded a 0.61 ERA (285.1 IP) in 2009 and 0.75 (352.2 IP) in 2008
- Gourley’s astounding 0.80 ERA (96.1 IP) would go down as the fourth-best ERA for a single season in Florida history if the season ended today.
- 3rd – Jenny Gladding (0.78)
- 2nd – Stacey Nelson (0.75)
- 1st – Stacey Nelson (0.61)
Hitting Notes
- Hitting Streak:
- Kelsey Stewart – six games (one shy of season long)
- Kayli Kvistad – five games (one shy of season long)
- Aubree Munro – five games (season long)
- Florida’s four home runs in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader matched a team high for a single game this season.
- Florida’s 14 runs during that contest were the most UF has scored a game this season.
- After scoring four runs on Saturday afternoon, Kelsey Stewart is now just eight runs shy of Aja Paculba’s school record 253.
- In addition, Kelsey Stewart is now five total bases shy of Lauren Haeger‘s program record 494.
- Stewart hit her sixth double of the season in the third inning of game one on Saturday.
- Janell Wheaton hit her sixth home run of the season and her first since March 5 against South Alabama in the second inning of game one on Saturday.
- Kayli Kvistad hit her team-leading eighth and ninth home runs of the season in the first and second innings of game two on Saturday.
- Kvistad joined Janell Wheaton and Kirsti Merritt as the only Gators to record a multi-homer game this season.
- This is the second time in her career that Kvistad hit multiple home runs in a game and the first since March 22, 2015 against Mercer.
- Aubree Munro recorded her second-career triple and first since February 16, 2013 in the first inning of game two against ULL.
- Amanda Lorenz is hitting .467 (14 for 30) over UF’s last 10 games with two homers, one double, nine RBI and six runs scored.
- Kayli Kvistad and Amanda Lorenz are challenging for the top on-base percentage in school history, as they each have recorded an OBP of .553 and .513 thus far this season.
- Bailey Castro set the program record a season ago when she reached base at a .536 clip.
- Amanda Lorenz, who’s currently hitting .398, is on pace to record the highest batting average for a freshman in school history. In addition, she could become the first rookie in program history to have an on-base percentage over .500.
- Kelsey Stewart holds the batting title as she hit .378 during her freshman season in 2013.
- Other freshman ranks that Lorenz is climbing into:
- Runs Scored – 9th (41)
- Doubles – T-7th (10)
- Walks – 9th (31)
Coaches’ Corner
Head Coach Tim Walton:
On Saturday’s doubleheader…
“I thought Delanie Gourley was outstanding today. She did a really good job setting the tone early for us. When we’re facing an offense as good as the University of Louisiana-Lafayette’s, we’re going to have to do a good job at pitching well, and pitching to our strengths as a defense. Delanie did that for us and set the tone.”
On Florida’s “hot” start in Game 2…
“The key to the whole start was Kelsey Stewart. She got on base and set the tone for us early. When she’s on base, we do a really good job offensively. She’s the ultimate key and has been all season. For her to get on base as many times as she did today, it really set the tone and helped us out today.”
Series History
- Despite today’s sweep, ULL still holds the all-time series lead over UF, 4-2.
- Florida’s win in game one of today’s doubleheader was UF’s first against Louisiana-Lafayette in program history.
- Saturday’s game marked the two teams’ first-ever meeting in Gainesville.
- The only prior meeting on either school’s campus came in February, 2002, at Lamson Park in Louisiana.
- In addition to this being the first-ever meeting in a three-game weekend series, UF and ULL last met in May 2008 at the WCWS in Oklahoma City when the Ragin Cajuns won 3-2 in eight innings.