#1 UF softball notches win in home opener

Last Wednesday, the #1-ranked Florida Gators saw their softball home opener against Jacksonville postponed by a steady rain. One week later, the Gators finally got to play front of their home crowd, improving to 12-0 on the season with a 6-0 win over Jacksonville.

After two innings of hitless ball the Gators got the only run they would need when sophomore Taylore Fuller delivered a third inning home run, one of two hits from the nine-hole in the order. The Gators also scored in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames.

“I thought we had a lot of good performances,” head coach Tim Walton said. “We had some good at-bats, really good defensive plays and obviously a lot of good hitting. Lauren [Haeger] had a two-run homer. Taylore Fuller is getting it going. Really good base running by Taylor Schwarz to make some things happen. Overall, I thought there were a lot of bright spots.”

Haeger continues to shine from the dish as well as the pitcher’s circle. Haeger not only hit her fifth home run of the season, pushing her hit streak to eight straight games, but also drew her eighth walk of the young season.

In the circle, Haeger was dominant again, earning her fourth win with seven innings of four-hit, shutout ball. With seven strikeouts and no walks, Haeger’s shutout was her third complete game of the season and lowered her season ERA to 0.78.

“I think it was okay,” Haeger said of her performance after the game. “I don’t think it was my best. I wasn’t hitting my spots as well. I think I had a little bit of luck on my side. I felt good, but not the best I could.”

As Florida looks to the weekend, Haeger says she wants to hit spots more as well as an increased focus on hitting the corners of the strike zone more.

The Gators will host the Lipton Invitational in Gainesville this weekend and will welcome in Troy, Indiana, Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern to Katie Seashole Pressley stadium.

Richard Johnson
Richard lives in Gainesville and prides himself in being a bonafide lifelong Alachua County Resident. He attends the University of Florida and is in his third year studying Telecommunications. He isn’t sure how he started loving football being the son of two immigrants that don’t care about the sport, but he has developed a borderline unhealthy obsession with it. In his free time, Richard watches other sports and is an avid fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and Tampa Bay Rays. He doesn’t like chocolate, knows Moe’s is better than Chipotle and drinks way too many Arnold Palmers. He also took up golf in the summer of 2012. That pursuit isn’t going well. You can listen to him talk about sports during the Cheapseats radio show on ESPN 850-WRUF or online at WRUF.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RagjUF.